Günther Ohloff
Encyclopedia
Günther Ohloff was a prominent German
fragrance chemist
.
, and studied, after having been heavily wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad
, Pharmacy
at the University of Königsberg
and Erlangen, as well as Chemistry
at the Technische Hochschule Dresden
. In 1951, he was rewarded his Ph.D.
for work on the condensation of terpene
s with formaldehyde
(Prins reaction
) unter the direction of Heinrich Wienhaus.
, at that time the most renowned Flavor and Fragrance company, he left Eastern Germany in 1953 for Dragoco
, Holzminden
, where he stayed until 1959, when he was offered a position at the Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry
in Mülheim
with Günther Otto Schenck. There he worked on the industrial-scale application of photooxygenation reactions employing singlet oxygen
, Ene reaction
s and sigmatropic rearrangements
. In 1962, Ohloff returned to Industry and joined Firmenich
in Geneva
, where he first headed the process-research group. In 1968, he was promoted research director and member of the board of directors, which he remained until his retirement in 1989.
His scientific work, which is documented in 228 publications and 111 patents, centered around ths structure elucidation and reactivity of terpene
s, the insdustrial syntheses of odorants, and structure–odor correlations. He was the leading expert of empirical odor rules that predict the olfactory properties of new compounds, such as the “triaxial rule of ambergris
sensation”. He also co-discovered the Eschenmoser fragmentation
, thus sometimes referred to Eschenmoser
–Ohloff fragmentation.
His small but condensed magnum opus on the chemistry of odorants “Riechstoffe und Geruchssinn. Die molekulare Welt der Düfte“ was republished in English in 2011, completely revised and much extended by Wilhelm Pickenhagen and Philip Kraft
, as “Scent and Chemistry – The Molecular World of Odors”.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
fragrance chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
.
Life
Günther Ohloff grew up in East PrussiaEast Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
, and studied, after having been heavily wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
, Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
at the University of Königsberg
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....
and Erlangen, as well as Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at the Technische Hochschule Dresden
Dresden University of Technology
The Technische Universität Dresden is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony and one of the 10 largest universities in Germany with 36,066 students...
. In 1951, he was rewarded his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
for work on the condensation of terpene
Terpene
Terpenes are a large and diverse class of organic compounds, produced by a variety of plants, particularly conifers, though also by some insects such as termites or swallowtail butterflies, which emit terpenes from their osmeterium. They are often strong smelling and thus may have had a protective...
s with formaldehyde
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH2O. It is the simplest aldehyde, hence its systematic name methanal.Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor. It is an important precursor to many other chemical compounds, especially for polymers...
(Prins reaction
Prins reaction
The Prins reaction is an organic reaction consisting of an electrophilic addition of an aldehyde or ketone to an alkene or alkyne followed by capture of a nucleophile. The outcome of the reaction depends on reaction conditions . With water and a protic acid such as sulfuric acid as the reaction...
) unter the direction of Heinrich Wienhaus.
Career
After two years with Schimmel & Co. in Miltitz near LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, at that time the most renowned Flavor and Fragrance company, he left Eastern Germany in 1953 for Dragoco
Symrise
Symrise is a major producer of flavors and fragrances with sales of € 1,572 million in 2010. Major competitors include Firmenich, Givaudan, International Flavors and Fragrances and Takasago International.-History:...
, Holzminden
Holzminden
Holzminden is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden. It is located directly on the river Weser, which here is the border to North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:...
, where he stayed until 1959, when he was offered a position at the Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry
Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry
The Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry is a scientific research facility located in the German town of Mülheim, northeast of Düsseldorf. It is named after physicist Max Planck. It was first part of the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research and then became independent under the name of...
in Mülheim
Mülheim
Mülheim an der Ruhr, also called "City on the River", is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr Area between Duisburg, Essen, Oberhausen and Ratingen...
with Günther Otto Schenck. There he worked on the industrial-scale application of photooxygenation reactions employing singlet oxygen
Singlet oxygen
Singlet oxygen is the common name used for the diamagnetic form of molecular oxygen , which is less stable than the normal triplet oxygen. Because of its unusual properties, singlet oxygen can persist for over an hour at room temperature, depending on the environment...
, Ene reaction
Ene reaction
The Ene reaction is a chemical reaction between an alkene with an allylic hydrogen and a compound containing a multiple bond , in order to form a new σ-bond with migration of the ene double bond and 1,5 hydrogen shift. The product is a substituted alkene with the double bond shifted to the...
s and sigmatropic rearrangements
Sigmatropic reaction
A sigmatropic reaction in organic chemistry is a pericyclic reaction wherein the net result is one σ-bond is changed to another σ-bond in an uncatalyzed intramolecular process. The name sigmatropic is the result of a compounding of the long-established sigma designation from single carbon-carbon...
. In 1962, Ohloff returned to Industry and joined Firmenich
Firmenich
Firmenich SA is a private Swiss company in the perfume and flavor business, it is the largest privately-owned company in the perfume and flavor business, and ranks number two worldwide., Firmenich has created many of the world’s favorite perfumes for over 100 years and produced a number of the most...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, where he first headed the process-research group. In 1968, he was promoted research director and member of the board of directors, which he remained until his retirement in 1989.
His scientific work, which is documented in 228 publications and 111 patents, centered around ths structure elucidation and reactivity of terpene
Terpene
Terpenes are a large and diverse class of organic compounds, produced by a variety of plants, particularly conifers, though also by some insects such as termites or swallowtail butterflies, which emit terpenes from their osmeterium. They are often strong smelling and thus may have had a protective...
s, the insdustrial syntheses of odorants, and structure–odor correlations. He was the leading expert of empirical odor rules that predict the olfactory properties of new compounds, such as the “triaxial rule of ambergris
Ambergris
Ambergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish color produced in the digestive system of and regurgitated or secreted by sperm whales....
sensation”. He also co-discovered the Eschenmoser fragmentation
Eschenmoser fragmentation
The Eschenmoser fragmentation, first published in 1967, is the chemical reaction of α,β-epoxyketones with aryl sulfonylhydrazines to give alkynes and carbonyl compounds...
, thus sometimes referred to Eschenmoser
Albert Eschenmoser
Albert Eschenmoser is a Swiss chemist working at the ETH Zurich and The Scripps Research Institute.His work together with Lavoslav Ružička on terpenes and the postulation of squalene cyclization to form lanosterol improved the insight into steroid biosynthesis.In the early 1960s, Eschenmoser began...
–Ohloff fragmentation.
His small but condensed magnum opus on the chemistry of odorants “Riechstoffe und Geruchssinn. Die molekulare Welt der Düfte“ was republished in English in 2011, completely revised and much extended by Wilhelm Pickenhagen and Philip Kraft
Philip Kraft
Philip Kraft is a German fragrance chemist. Since 1996 he has worked at Givaudan, the world's leading company in the Flavor and Fragrance Industry where he designs new captive odorants for use in perfumes...
, as “Scent and Chemistry – The Molecular World of Odors”.
Awards
- Leopold Ružička Award of the Swiss Chemical Society (1967)
- Ernest Guenther Award of the American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical SocietyThe American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
(1974) - Hackford Jones Prize of the British Society of Perfumery (1980)
- Otto-Wallach-Medal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher ChemikerGesellschaft Deutscher ChemikerThe Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker is a learned society and professional association founded in 1949 to represent the interests of German chemists in local, national and international contexts...
(1981) - R. H. Wright Award of the Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, Canada (1988)
Books
- Günther Ohloff: Riechstoffe und Geruchssinn. Die molekulare Welt der Düfte, Springer, Berlin, 1990, ISBN 3-540-52560-2. English translation: Scent and Fragrances: The Fascination of Odors and Their Chemical Perspectives, Springer, New York, 1994, ISBN 0-387-57108-6.
- Günther Ohloff: Irdische Düfte, himmlische Lust, Birkhäuser, Basel, 2000, ISBN 3-7643-2753-7. English translation projected with Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zürich, for 2012.
- Günther Ohloff: Düfte - Signale der Gefühlswelt, Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zurich, 2004, ISBN 978-3-906390307.
- Günther Ohloff, Wilhelm Pickenhagen, Philip KraftPhilip KraftPhilip Kraft is a German fragrance chemist. Since 1996 he has worked at Givaudan, the world's leading company in the Flavor and Fragrance Industry where he designs new captive odorants for use in perfumes...
: “Scent and Chemistry – The Molecular World of Odors”, Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zurich, 2011, ISBN 978-3-906390-66-6.