Wallace Carothers
Seaford, Sussex County, Delaware
Marker Inscription
At this site in 1928, Wallace H. Carothers (1896-1937) began his pioneering studies into the chemistry of giant molecules. He soon confirmed that high molecular weight molecules consist of repeating units of simple molecules (monomers) linked together by chemical bonds to form long chains (polymers), as first proposed in 1920 by German chemist Hermann Staudinger. Carothers excelled at creating polymers, and his work quickly led to the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company's highly successful commercial production of neoprene, the first synthetic rubber made in the Unied States (1932), and nylon, the world's first totally synthetic textile fiber (1939).
Erected by American Chemical Society National Historic Chemical Landmarks
The Story
At the DuPont laboratories, chemist Wallace Carothers began pioneering studies here in 1928 into 'giant molecules,' confirming that long chains of repeating units — polymers — could be built by design. His research led swiftly to neoprene, the first American synthetic rubber, in 1932, and in 1939 to nylon, the world's first fully synthetic textile fiber. Carothers laid the scientific groundwork for the age of plastics before his death in 1937.
Why it matters
Carothers's work launched the modern synthetics industry, and inventions like nylon transformed everyday life, wartime materials, and the American economy for the century to come.
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Related people
- · Wallace Carothers
- · Hermann Staudinger
Related events
- · Invention of neoprene and nylon
Themes & tags
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