Table 1 Nobel Prizes directly associated with X-ray crystallography
Year Laureates
Prize
Citation
1914 M. von Laue
Physics
“Diffraction of X-rays by crystals”
1915 W.H. and W.L. Bragg
Physics
“The analysis of crystal structures by means of
X-rays”
1927 A.H. Compton
Physics
For showing that X-ray quanta scattered by electrons had longer wavelengths, the surplus energy
having been transferred to the electrons – the
Compton effect – demonstrated the particle
properties of electromagnetic radiation
1929 L-V. de Broglie
Physics
Contribution to wave/particle duality and the
equation which defines the wavelength of quantum particles such as electrons, neutrons and
protons
1936 Petrus J. W. Debye
Physics
“For his contributions to our knowledge of
molecular structure through his investigations on
dipole moments and on the diffraction of X-rays
and electrons in gases”
1937 C.J. Davisson and
G.P. Thomson
Physics
“Or their experimental discovery of the diffraction of electrons by crystals”
1946 James B. Sumner
Chemistry “For his discovery that enzymes can be
crystallised”
1962 M.F. Perutz and
J.C. Kendrew
Chemistry “The structures of globular proteins”
1962 J.D. Watson,
F.H.C. Crick and
M. Wilkins
Medicine “The molecular structure of nucleic acids and its
significance for information transfer in living
matter”
1964 D. Hodgkin
Chemistry “X-ray techniques for the structures of important
biochemical substances”
1972 S. Moore and
W.H. Stein
Chemistry “The chemical structures and catalytic activity of
the active centre of the ribonuclease molecule”
1976 W.N. Lipscomb
Chemistry “The structures of boranes illuminating problems
of chemical bonding”
1982 A. Klug
Chemistry “Development of crystallographic electron
microscopy and the structural elucidation of
nucleic acid-protein complexes used methods
from X-ray diffraction, microscopy and structural
modelling”
1985 J. Karle and
H.A. Hauptman
Chemistry “Developing direct methods for the determination of crystal structures”
1988 J. Deisenhofer,
H. Michel and R. Huber
Chemistry “Three-dimensional structure of a photosynthetic
reaction centre”
1944 C. Shull and
B. Brockhouse
Physics
Neutron diffraction and neutron inelastic
scattering
1997 J. E. Walker
Chemistry “Elucidation of the enzymatic mechanism
underlying the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)”
2003 R. MacKinnon and
Peter Agre
Chemistry “Structural and mechanistic studies of ion channels and water channels”
(continued)
Early History of X-Ray Crystallography
7
Year Laureates
Prize
Citation
1914 M. von Laue
Physics
“Diffraction of X-rays by crystals”
1915 W.H. and W.L. Bragg
Physics
“The analysis of crystal structures by means of
X-rays”
1927 A.H. Compton
Physics
For showing that X-ray quanta scattered by electrons had longer wavelengths, the surplus energy
having been transferred to the electrons – the
Compton effect – demonstrated the particle
properties of electromagnetic radiation
1929 L-V. de Broglie
Physics
Contribution to wave/particle duality and the
equation which defines the wavelength of quantum particles such as electrons, neutrons and
protons
1936 Petrus J. W. Debye
Physics
“For his contributions to our knowledge of
molecular structure through his investigations on
dipole moments and on the diffraction of X-rays
and electrons in gases”
1937 C.J. Davisson and
G.P. Thomson
Physics
“Or their experimental discovery of the diffraction of electrons by crystals”
1946 James B. Sumner
Chemistry “For his discovery that enzymes can be
crystallised”
1962 M.F. Perutz and
J.C. Kendrew
Chemistry “The structures of globular proteins”
1962 J.D. Watson,
F.H.C. Crick and
M. Wilkins
Medicine “The molecular structure of nucleic acids and its
significance for information transfer in living
matter”
1964 D. Hodgkin
Chemistry “X-ray techniques for the structures of important
biochemical substances”
1972 S. Moore and
W.H. Stein
Chemistry “The chemical structures and catalytic activity of
the active centre of the ribonuclease molecule”
1976 W.N. Lipscomb
Chemistry “The structures of boranes illuminating problems
of chemical bonding”
1982 A. Klug
Chemistry “Development of crystallographic electron
microscopy and the structural elucidation of
nucleic acid-protein complexes used methods
from X-ray diffraction, microscopy and structural
modelling”
1985 J. Karle and
H.A. Hauptman
Chemistry “Developing direct methods for the determination of crystal structures”
1988 J. Deisenhofer,
H. Michel and R. Huber
Chemistry “Three-dimensional structure of a photosynthetic
reaction centre”
1944 C. Shull and
B. Brockhouse
Physics
Neutron diffraction and neutron inelastic
scattering
1997 J. E. Walker
Chemistry “Elucidation of the enzymatic mechanism
underlying the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)”
2003 R. MacKinnon and
Peter Agre
Chemistry “Structural and mechanistic studies of ion channels and water channels”
(continued)
Early History of X-Ray Crystallography
7