Kenichi Fukui

Japanese chemist

Born: October 4, 1918 · Died: January 9, 1998

Famous Persons

Kenichi Fukui — Image via Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia.

Overview

Legacy

In an interview with The Chemical Intelligencer Kenichi discusses his path towards chemistry starting from middle school.

Who was Kenichi Fukui?

Kenichi Fukui (福井謙一, Fukui Ken'ichi; October 4, 1918 – January 9, 1998) was a Japanese chemist. Fukui's prize-winning work focused on the role of frontier orbitals in chemical reactions: specifically that molecules share loosely bonded electrons which occupy the frontier orbitals, that is, the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO). Fukui was the eldest of three sons of Ryokichi Fukui, a foreign trade merchant, and Chie Fukui. In his student days between 1938 and 1941, Fukui's interest was stimulated by quantum mechanics and Erwin Schrödinger's equation. He also had developed the belief that a breakthrough in science occurs through the unexpected fusion of remotely related fields.

Kenichi Fukui Monument at Kyoto University

Historical significance

He became the first person of East Asian ancestry to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry when he won the 1981 prize with Roald Hoffmann, for their independent investigations into the mechanisms of chemical reactions.

Sources and further reading

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Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Kenichi Fukui.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/kenichi-fukui/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

APA

Kenichi Fukui. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/kenichi-fukui/

Chicago

“Kenichi Fukui.” thisDay. Accessed November 2, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/kenichi-fukui/.

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