Could 2026 be the year we start using quantum computers for chemistry?
Understanding the chemical properties of a molecule is an inherently quantum problem, making quantum computers a good tool for the job – and we may start seeing this take off in 2026
Technology
Understanding the chemical properties of a molecule is an inherently quantum problem, making quantum computers a good tool for the job – and we may start seeing this take off in 2026
31 December 2025
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Quantum computers are well-matched to solve chemistry problems
Marijan Murat/dpa/Alamy
Whether quantum computers can actually solve practical problems is one of the biggest unanswered questions of this growing industry – and one that might be answered by researchers in industrial and medical chemistry in 2026.
Calculating the structure, reactivity and other chemical properties of a molecule is an intrinsically quantum problem because it involves its electrons, which are quantum particles. But the more complex a molecule is, the harder these calculations become, in some cases posing a real challenge even for traditional supercomputers.