Nobel chemistry prize winners' names leaked? Swedish media reports suggest so

Stockholm, Sweden

The Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences inadvertently disclosed what appeared to be the names of three scientists who were purportedly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry, reported Reuters, citing a Swedish newspaper. The weird thing here is that this happened much before the official announcement of the award. Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet obtained and published an email that supposedly originated from the academy, listing the laureates as Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, and Alexei I. Ekimov.

Another Swedish daily, Dagens Nyheter (DN) cited the email, saying that it mentioned that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2023 was intended to honour the discovery and development of quantum dots. "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2023 rewards the discovery and development of quantum dots, nanoparticles that are so small that their size determines their properties," the daily said quoting the academy email.

What did the academy chair say?  

Johan Aqvist, the chair of the academy's Nobel committee for chemistry, clarified that it was a "mistake by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Our meeting starts at 0930 CET (0730 GMT), so no decision has been made yet. The winners have not been selected." The official announcement of this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry is scheduled for 1145 CET (0945 GMT).

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There are many applications of nanoparticles and quantum dots. They play crucial roles in LED lights and TV screens. In the field of health care, they assist surgeons during cancer tissue removal. 

Among the purported laureates, Moungi G. Bawendi is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Louis E. Brus holds the title of professor emeritus at Columbia University, and Alexei I. Ekimov is associated with Nanocrystals Technology Inc. The controversy over the revelation of the purported names, even before the final decision is made, is just one of the many controversies surrounding this prestigious prize. From names being confused by newspapers to claims that the awards overlook females, the prize is not untouched by scandals. 

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Since they were originally awarded in 1901, the Nobel Prizes have grown to be some of the most distinguished honours in the world. They are granted by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and carry a prize of 11 million Swedish crowns ($990,019). 

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Earlier, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to scientists Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier. This was for their outstanding work “for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in the matter.” As per the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, their experiments "have given humanity new tools for exploring the world of electrons inside atoms and molecules".