Irma Goldberg (born 1871) was a Russian-born chemist. She was one of the first female

organic chemists Organic may refer to: * Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity * Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ Chemistry * Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product o ...

to have and sustain a successful career, her work even being quoted in her own name in standard textbooks.

Life

Education

Born in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

to a Russian-Jewish family, she later traveled to

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

in the 1890s to study chemistry at Geneva University.

Early research, Ullmann reaction

Her early research included the development of a process to remove sulfur and phosphorus from acetylene. Her first article on the derivatives of

benzophenone Benzophenone is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula (C6H5)2CO, generally abbreviated Ph2CO. Benzophenone has been found in some fungi, fruits and plants, including grapes. It is a white solid with a low melting point and ros ...

, coauthored by German chemist

Fritz Ullmann Fritz Ullmann (July 2, 1875 in Fürth – March 17, 1939 in Berlin) was a German chemist. Ullmann was born in Fürth and started studying chemistry in Nuremberg, but received his PhD of the University of Geneva for work with Carl Gräbe in 18 ...

, was published in 1897. She also researched and wrote a paper (published in 1904) on using

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

as a catalyst for the preparation of a phenyl derivative of thiosalicylic acid, a process known as the

Ullmann reaction The Ullmann reaction or Ullmann coupling, named after Fritz Ullmann, couples two aryl or alkyl groups with the help of copper. The reaction was first reported by Ullmann and his student Bielecki in 1901. It has been later shown that palladium and ...

; Goldberg is the only woman scientist unambiguously recognized for her own named reaction: the amidation (Goldberg) reaction. This modification to previous forms of the method was a great improvement, and was extremely helpful for laboratory-scale preparations. She coordinated on other forms of chemistry research with her husband,

, in what they called the Ullmann-Goldberg collaborative.

Move to Berlin, synthetic dye research

In 1905, both Goldberg and Ullman moved to Technische Hochschule in Berlin. Goldberg's research, along with that of the Ullmann-Goldberg collaborative, was also a part of Germany's synthetic dye industry. Their research helped with the creation of the synthetic alizarin industry, or the process of replacing natural dye obtained from madder. In 1909, Goldberg also collaborated with Hermann Friedman to review German patents under BASF (Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik) and Bayer & Co. Farbenfabriken, providing notes on preparation for 114 dyes.

Marriage and later life

In 1910, Goldberg married Ullman. In 1923, they moved back to Geneva when Ullman accepted a faculty position at Geneva University. Her exact death date is not known, but her name does appear at the top of a list of people signing a memorial notice in a Geneva newspaper for her deceased husband,

in 1939.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Goldberg, Irma 19th-century scientists from the Russian Empire 19th-century women scientists from the Russian Empire 20th-century Russian women scientists German women chemists Organic chemists 1871 births Year of death missing Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the German Empire 19th-century German women scientists 19th-century Swiss women scientists Chemists from the Russian Empire