The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1912 was divided equally between Victor Grignard "for the discovery of the so-called Grignard reagent, which in recent years has greatly advanced the progress of organic chemistry" and Paul Sabatier "for his method of hydrogenating organic compounds in the presence of finely disintegrated metals whereby the progress of organic chemistry has been greatly advanced in recent years".
 

The two methods awarded the 1912 Nobel Prize in Chemistry changed the way in which chemists artificially created carbon-containing, or organic, compounds in the laboratory. During a meticulous analysis of the way in which a set of chemicals interact with metals, Victor Grignard devised a new method for coupling together a carbon atom from one molecule onto a carbon atom from another. In the first step, an organohalide compound, which contains a carbon atom attached to a halogen atom like chlorine, bromine or iodine, combines with magnesium in the presence of ether, and in the second step another carbon-containing compound is added to the mix. With its wide application, this intermediate, which was named Grignard reagent after its discoverer, quickly became an indispensible means for chemists looking to stitch together smaller precursor molecules to create organic compounds.
 

Paul Sabatier's interest in catalytic reactions in organic chemistry led to him becoming the first chemist to detail the advantages of using nickel to drive reactions with organic compounds. A simple, safe and convenient method, this hydrogenation reaction formed the basis of many laboratory reactions and important industrial processes, chief among them being the conversion of liquid oils into solid fats, the process behind the production of margarine.