Three researchers won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for palladium-catalyzed cross coupling in organic synthesis," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Wednesday.

They are American citizen Richard F. Heck from University of Delaware of USA, Japanese citizens Ei-ichi Negishi from Purdue University of USA and Akira Suzuki from Hokkaido University of Japan.

"This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to Richard F. Hech, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki for the development of palladium-catalyzed cross coupling. This chemical tool has vastly improved the possibilities for chemists to create sophisticated chemicals, for example carbon-based molecules as complex as those created by nature itself," the academy said in a statement.

"Palladium-catalyzed cross coupling solved that problem and provided chemists with a more precise and efficient tool to work with. In the Heck reaction, Negishi reaction and Suzuki reaction, carbon atoms meet on a palladium atom, whereupon their proximity to one another kick-starts the chemical reaction," said the statement.

"Palladium-catalyzed cross coupling is used in research worldwide, as well as in the commercial production of for example pharmaceuticals and molecules used in the electronics industry," it added.

They will equally share the 10 million kronor (US$1.47 million) prize.

This was the third of this year's crop of Nobel prizes, which are handed out annually for achievements in science, literature, economics and peace.

All but one of the prizes were established in the will of 19th century dynamite millionaire Alfred Nobel. The economics award was established by Sweden's central bank in 1968.

On Tuesday, the Nobel Prize in Physics went to two Russian-born scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, both working at the University of Manchester in Britain.

Alfred Nobel died childless and dedicated his vast fortune to create "prizes for those, who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."

The Nobel Prizes have been awarded annually since 1901 to those who "conferred the greatest benefit on mankind during the preceding year."

Each prize consists of a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor.