Professor Emeritus;in Israel since 1941; B.Sc. 1951, Leeds University;
D.Sc. 1955, Technion; on Technion faculty since 1958; ACS-PRF Faculty
Award, 1965; Kahlbaum Lecturer, Basel University, 1973; Member,
Editorial Board, Inorganica Chimica Acta, 1968-1988;
Member, Editorial Board, Israel Journal of Chemistry, 1967-1976;
Member, Editorial Board, Metal-Based Drugs,1993-1997;
IR 100 Award, 1982 and 1983;
Chairman, XIth ICCC, Israel, 1968;
President, Israel Chemical Society, 1967-1971;
Chairman, Department of Chemistry, Technion, 1972-1976.
Phone:+972-4-8293723;Fax:+972-4-8233735;E-mail:mcais@techunix.technion.ac.il
Among some of the highlights of the research work of Michael Cais and
his activities since joining the Technion Faculty in 1958, mention
can be made first of his pinoneering work in the field of
Organometallic Chemistry in Israel and the establishment of
international links for Israel in this area. The latter achievement is
exemplified by the choice of Israel in 1968 as the venue for the XIth
International Conference on Coordination Chemistry (XI. ICCC) and his
election as Chairman of the Conference.
His initial research interests centered on the development of the
chemistry of CYCLOPENTADIENYLMANGANESE TRICARBONYL, also known by the
trivial name CYMANTRENE. Michael Cais suggested the name cymantrene
by analogy to the use of the established trivial name FERROCENE for
bis-(Cyclopentadienyl)iron. The name cymantrene became accepted in the
chemical literature.Some of the work with cymantrene resulted in the
first published approach to the synthesis of PENTALENE and
BENZOPENTALENE through stabilized organometallic precursors.
The work with ferrocene led to the elucidation of the properties and
structure of ALPHA-FERROCENYL CARBONIUM IONS and the synthesis of
metal complexes of the SESQUIFULVALENE and CALICENE systems.
Research in the area of organometal carbonyl complexes led to the
discovery of selective hydrogenation of dienes with ARENECHROMIUM
TRICARBONYLS as homogeneous catalysts and to mechanistic studies
of this catalytic process.
Expansion of his research interests to the area of bio-coordination
chemistry, led Michael Caisto the development of the new concept of
METALLOIMMUNOASSAY, whereby metal complexes are used as markers for
antigens and/or antibodies, in place of radioisotope markers, for use
in diagnostic immunoassays. Work in this area also resulted in the
development of a Free Radical Immunoassay for the detection of
cannabinoid metabolites in biological fluids.
The work with biological substrates also led to the discovery and
development of novel concepts in SEPARATION TECHNOLOGY with potential
applications to medical diagnostics, such as non-centrifugation
solid-liquid separations and liquid-liquid (solvent extraction)
separations, for which Michael Cais received in 1982 the IR 100 Award.
Work in this area resulted also in the development of the concepts
of Dynamic Column Liquid Chromatography (DCLC), Dynamic Column Solid
Phase Extraction (DC-SPE), and Dynamic Column Affinity Chromatography
(DC-AC).For the development of DCLC, Michael Cais was awarded in 1983,
for the second year running,the IR 100 Award.
Currently,Michael Cais is mainly interested in developing further
applications of his separation technology to the area of medical
diagnostics.
Some Relevant Publications
· M. Cais (Editor), "Progress in Coordination Chemistry". Elesevier
(Amsterdam) 1969.
· M. Cais, P. Hickmott and A. Modiano, "NMR Spectroscopy of
Organic-Metal Carbonyl Complexes".Annual Reports on NMR
Spectroscopy, Vol.6C,(658 pages), Academic Press, London, 1977.
· M. Cais and M.S. Lupin, Mass Spectra of Metallocenes and Related
Compounds. In "Advances in Organometallic Chemistry", Vol.8,
pp.211-333, Academic Press, New York, 1970.
· M. Cais, Aromaticity Problems in Metallocenes, in "Aromaticity,
Pseudo-Aromaticity, Anti-Aromaticity", Academic Press Inc.,
New York, pp. 96-113 (1971).
· M. Cais, Metalloimmunoassay, in "Nonisotopic Immunoassay"
(T.T. Ngo, Editor), pp. 415-438, Plenum Press, New York, 1988.
· M. Cais, Novel Separation Systems, CHIMICAoggi, 8, 25-32 (1990).