After holding the first professorship in organic chemistry at the Technische Hochschule in Aachen from 1880 until 1890, August Michaelis changed to the University of Rostock to hold the chair of chemistry and pharmacy at the faculty of philosophy. In Rostock, he continued his research in phosphorus chemistry. Michaelis has conducted investigations on several classes of P-compounds, such as triarylphosphines and the respective N- and As analogues, mixed alkyl aryl phosphine oxides, primary phosphines, phosphorus halogen compounds, phosphorus trisamides, phosphonium salts, and others. He found that the reaction of phosphorus acid esters with alkyl halogenides does not lead to stable phosphonium compounds but to alkyl phosphinic acid derivatives after aqueous workup. A. E. Arbuzov showed this reaction, which is now known as the Michaelis Arbuzov rearrangement, to be a more general one. Michaelis also provided proof for the formula HP(O)(OH)<sub>2</sub> of phosphorous acid, thus explaining why the respective triesters are not available from the acid directly but from P(III) halogen compounds. For a collection of his compounds, he received a gold medal at the world exhibition in St. Louis, Louisiana, in 1904. Michaelis also served the University of Rostock as a president. He has been a dedicated chemistry teacher. From the 1870's on he delt with revising and publishing issues of the <i>Graham-Ottos Lehrbuch der Anorganischen Chemie</i> (F. Vieweg und Sohn, Braunschweig). Michaelis received the Cothenius medal from the Leopoldinisch-Carolinische Akademie der Naturforscher (Leopoldina) and was nominated Geheimer Hofrat in 1913 because of his merits. Michaelis died in 1916. In 1941, Paul Walden named him ‘a big one’ of classical chemistry. Nowadays, phosphorus chemistry plays an important role at the University of Rostock. With regard to Michaelis, phosphaaza compounds which still offer interesting challenges and surprises are investigated at the Department of Chemistry. At the Leibniz-Institute of Catalysis, P(III) and P(V) compounds are synthesized and tested with respect to their applicability for catalytic transformations. The Leibniz Science Campus ‘Phosphorus Research’ has been established, which is dedicated to the facets of phosphorus utilization in daily life. It is worth mentioning, that the famous triphenylphosphine is still prepared today from chlorobenzene, phosphorus trichloride and sodium, a synthetic procedure developed by Michaelis more than 100 years ago.

August Michaelis: A pioneer of phosphorus chemistry

255th National Meeting (2018)

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