1918-1998

Japanese chemist whose research into the nature of chemical reactions was awarded the 1981 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Fukui's initial research was in the development of synthetic fuels, later changing to more theoretical research in the area of charge transfer as a controlling agent in chemical reactions. Fukui pursued this line of inquiry from about 1950 until his death in 1998, including important work on the theory of chemical reactions that led to a better understanding of this most fundamental aspect of chemistry.