Title: Retired Research Fellow and Chemist
Company: DuPont
Location: Asheville, North Carolina, United States
Allan Robert Schoenberg, Retired Research Fellow and Chemist at DuPont, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for dedication, achievements and leadership in Chemistry.
Dr. Schoenberg is recognized for his remarkable career as a chemist and research fellow, most notably with DuPont. His expertise in chemistry has been demonstrated through decades of innovative work and significant contributions to the field. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Schoenberg has expressed pride not only in his technical achievements but also in the spirit of cooperation and camaraderie that characterized his years with the organization. He recalls fondly the unique culture fostered by DuPont, including access to what is now DuPont State Forest, a testament to the positive environment that shaped his professional journey.
Beginning in 1974 and spanning five years, Dr. Schoenberg worked as a chemist in the graphic arts department at DuPont’s Fort Lee, New Jersey, facility. In this role, he focused on developing a reputation for quality work, laying the groundwork for his later achievements in chemical research and development.
In 1979, Dr. Schoenberg pivoted into the role of a chemist in the X-ray department at DuPont in Brevard, North Carolina. During this period, he achieved several milestones that have had a lasting impact on both the company and the broader scientific community. A publicly traded company founded in 1802, DuPont was an American multinational chemical company headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. It merged with Dow Chemical to form DowDuPont in 2017 before splitting into three separate companies.
Dr. Schoenberg’s academic foundation included receiving a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Monmouth College, now Monmouth University, in West Long Branch, New Jersey, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Delaware in Newark, where he benefited from collaborations with leading professionals, including engineers and physicists who have been instrumental to his success. Deeply invested in his professional community, Dr. Schoenberg remains an active member of the American Chemical Society, reflecting his ongoing commitment to advancing chemical sciences.
A defining moment in Dr. Schoenberg’s career came early on during his postdoctoral research with Dr. Richard Heck, who would later be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2010 for the development of the Heck Reaction. Their collaboration resulted in multiple published papers and contributed to advancements that revolutionized synthetic chemistry. Dr. Schoenberg learned of the far-reaching significance of their work when he attended Dr. Heck’s reception at the University of Delaware, discovering that their research had enabled drug manufacturers to streamline complex processes, such as reducing a 12-step artificial prostaglandin synthesis with a 1% yield to a 10-step process with a 10% yield using three steps of the Heck Reaction.
As a leading researcher, Dr. Schoenberg secured more than five U.S. patents related to reducing the amount of silver required in film production. One of these patents improved reaction speed by 20%, enabling DuPont to reduce silver coating weight by 15%, which resulted in an estimated savings of approximately $1 billion in silver cloth. This innovation not only advanced manufacturing efficiency but also contributed significantly to medical X-ray technology, a point of personal pride for Dr. Schoenberg, who valued that his research supported health care rather than military applications.
Dr. Schoenberg’s professional excellence has been recognized with several honors, such as the Special Compensation Award from DuPont. Reflecting on his long and successful career, he recalls his early fascination with chemistry, which began during childhood when he received his first chemistry set, ultimately guiding him toward a lifelong vocation in scientific discovery. As he looks toward the future, Dr. Schoenberg hopes to be remembered for both his scientific contributions and the collaborative relationships he built throughout his career, qualities that have left an enduring mark on those who worked alongside him and in the field of chemistry.
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