The analysis of the spectral energy distribution in the optical, near
 infrared and IRAS bandpasses has shown that RS CVn-type binaries have
 infrared excess that has been attributed to the presence of
 circumstellar matter shells. Among the sources showing IR excess, the
 mass of their dust shells have been estimated to be larger for those
 sources that appear slightly more evolved. A tentative hypothesis
 is that the circumstellar material we are now seeing is the result of
 continuous mass loss episodes and hence is presumably linked to the
 time-integrated past magnetic activity.
 We propose to perform multi-filter photometry of a selected sample of
 RS CVn and Algol's binary systems with ISOPHOT in order to reconstruct
 their energy distribution from near to far IR spectral domains. The
 targets have been chosen among those for which long term
 multiwavelength monitoring (from X-ray to radio bands) has allowed us
 to establish the level of their behaviour and magnetic activity.
 The Catania and Torino groups have been involved in optical and UV
 studies of active binary systems for several decades and have gained
 substantial expertise in this field.
 We should like now to complement our active binary studies with the
 important information contained in the IR spectral domain.