Kraft's interest in fragrance chemistry and perfumery was awakened in 1986 by an article on
rose oxide analogs,[1] which led to contacts with Haarmann & Reimer (now
Symrise), where he was introduced to the world of scents and fragrances. After graduation from high school and
military service which involved
forensic and
analytical chemistry, he studied chemistry from 1989–1994 at the
University of Kiel. He obtained his degree while working in
Werner Tochtermann's group, then continued his research with this group, producing his
PhD thesis on the
synthesis of
macrocyclicmusks in 1996. Moving to industry, he joined
Givaudan's Fragrance Research center of in
Dübendorf (
Switzerland) in 1996 as the head of an organic synthesis laboratory. In 2001 he participated in an
expedition with
Roman Kaiser to the primary
rain forest of the
Masoalapeninsula (
Madagascar) in search of new natural
leads. That same year, he was promoted to group leader for the discovery of new odorants. His primary
research interests are the rational design of new odorants, molecular modeling, and structure–odor correlations, particularly in the domain of
musks and floral odorants.[2] Since 2008 he has taught courses in fragrance chemistry at the
University of Bern, the
University of Zurich, and the
ETH Zurich.
Publications and patents
Kraft, as of 2014, has authored 78 papers in peer-reviewed chemistry journals, and is inventor or co-inventor of 30 patents. Highly cited reviews include “Fragrance Chemistry“,[3] “Odds and Trends: Recent Developments in the Chemistry of Odorants”,[4] “New and Unusual Natural Products of Fascinating Flower Scents“,[5] and a book chapter on “Musks”.[6] He co-organized the Flavor & Fragrance conference series of the
Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society of the Chemical Industry in Manchester 2004 and London 2007, and the
Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker at
Leipzig in 2013.
Kraft was the research instigator and lead author of From Rallet No1 to Chanel No5 versus Mademoiselle Chanel No1[7] which explored the work of perfumer
Ernest Beaux leading to the creation of
Chanel's No.5.
Serenolide (2-(1-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexyl)ethoxy)-2-methylpropyl cyclopropanecarboxylate, 2006), linear musk odorant: »Polo Double Black« (
Ralph Lauren, 2006), »Unforgivable Woman« (
Sean John, 2007), »John Galliano« (
John Galliano, 2008).[11] This substance showed only weak potential for skin sensitization.[12]
Sylkolide ((3' E)-2-((3',5'-dimethylhex-3'-en-2'-yl)oxy)-2-methylpropyl cyclopropanecarboxylate, 2010), linear top-note musk: »Core for Men« (
GAP, 2010).[13]
Cassyrane (2-(tert-butyl)-5-methyl-2-propyl-2,5-dihydrofuran, 2010), sulfur-free cassis top note.[14]
References
^Hoepfner, Wolfgang; Weyerstahl, Peter (1986). Liebigs Ann. Chem.1986, 99–113.
^Kraft, Philip; Popaj, Kasim; Abate, Agnese (2005). "Design, Synthesis and Olfactory Properties of 2-Substituted 2-tert-Butyl-5-methyl-2,5-dihydrofurans: seco-Derivatives of Theaspiranes". Synthesis. 2005 (16): 2798–2809.
doi:
10.1055/s-2005-918404. (Biographical sketch, English)
^Fráter, Georg; Bajgrowicz, Jerzy A.; Kraft, Philip (1998). "Fragrance Chemistry". "Title". Tetrahedron. 54: 7633–7703.
doi:
10.1016/s0040-4020(98)00199-9.
^Kraft, Philip; Bajgrowicz, Jerzy A.; Denis, Caroline; Fráter, Georg (2000). "Odds and Trends: Recent Developments in the Chemistry of Odorants". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 2000 (17): 2980–3010.
doi:
10.1002/1521-3773(20000901)39:17<2980::AID-ANIE2980>3.0.CO;2-#.
^Kaiser, Roman; Kraft, Philip (2001). "Neue und ungewöhnliche Naturstoffe faszinierender Blütendüfte: Überraschende Dufterlebnisse". Chemie in Unserer Zeit. 2001: 8–23.
doi:
10.1002/1521-3781(200101)35:1<8::AID-CIUZ8>3.0.CO;2-F.
^Kraft, Philip (2004). In Chemistry and Technology of Flavours and Fragrances, Ed. Rowe, David J.; Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford, 2004, pp. 143–168,
ISBN1-4051-1450-9.
^Kraft, Philip; Ledard, Christine; Goutell, Philip (2007). "From Rallet No1 to Chanel No5 versus Mademoiselle Chanel No1". Perfumer & Flavorist. 37 (October): 36–48.
^Kraft, Philip; Eichenberger, Walter; Fráter, Georg (1999). "Synthesis of a Constitutional Isomer of Nerol by Consecutive Ireland-Claisen and Cope Rearrangements". European Journal of Organic Chemistry. 1999 (11): 2781–2785.
doi:
10.1002/(SICI)1099-0690(199911)1999:11<2781::AID-EJOC2781>3.0.CO;2-C.
^Kraft, Philip; Eichenberger, Walter (2003). "Conception, Characterization and Correlation of New Marine Odorants". European Journal of Organic Chemistry. 2003 (19): 3735–3743.
doi:
10.1002/ejoc.200300174.
^Kraft, Philip; Denis, Caroline; Eichenberger, Walter (2001). "5,6,7-Trimethylocta-2,5-dien-4-one − A Suspected Odorant with Surprising Olfactory Properties". European Journal of Organic Chemistry. 2001 (12): 2363–2369.
doi:
10.1002/1099-0690(200106)2001:12<2363::AID-EJOC2363>3.0.CO;2-E.
^Kraft, Philip; Popaj, Kasim (2008). "New Musk Odorants: (3E)-4-(2-Alkyl-5,5-dimethylcyclopent-1-enyl)but-3-en-2-ones and (3E)-1-Acetyl-3-alkylidene-4,4-dimethylcyclohexenes". European Journal of Organic Chemistry. 2008 (28): 4806–4814.
doi:
10.1002/ejoc.200800644.
^Kraft, Philip; Eichenberger, Walter (2004). "Synthesis and Odor of Aliphatic Musks: Discovery of a New Class of Odorants". European Journal of Organic Chemistry. 2004 (2): 354–365.
doi:
10.1002/ejoc.200300578.
^Mouhib, Halima; Stahl, Wolfgang; Lüthy, Monique; Büchel, Michelle; Kraft, Philip (2011). "Cassis Odor through Microwave Eyes: Olfactory Properties and Gas-Phase Structures of all the Cassyrane Stereoisomers and its Dihydro Derivatives". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 50 (24): 5576–5580.
doi:
10.1002/anie.201100937.
PMID21557421.