Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman has been awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry for his discovery of quasicrystals - an entirely new class of solid material.
Dr Shechtman, 70, from Israel's Technion institute in Haifa, was working in the United States in 1982 when he observed atoms in a crystal he had made form a five-sided pattern that did not repeat itself.
This defied received wisdom that they must create repetitious patterns, like triangles, squares or hexagons, and Dr Shechtman suffered years of ridicule and even lost a research post for claiming to have found the quasicrystals.
In an interview this year with Israeli newspaper Haaretz, he said people "just laughed at me" and the head of his research group asked him to leave for bringing disgrace to the team.
Three decades later, the non-stick, rust-free, heat-resistant quasicrystals are finding their way into tools from LEDs to engines and frying pans.
"His discovery was extremely controversial," the Nobel Committee at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.
"Daniel Shechtman had to fight a fierce battle against established science ... His battle eventually forced scientists to reconsider their conception of the very nature of matter.
"In quasicrystals, we find the fascinating mosaics of the Arabic world reproduced at the level of atoms: regular patterns that never repeat themselves."
The prize brings with it a 10-million crown ($US1.5-million) award.
