Chemistry

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND CENTRE FOR RESEARCH

The Department of Chemistry commenced functioning under the eminent leadership of Prof. K. George in 1964 and, in 1969 the degree course in Chemistry was introduced. The Department became a Post Graduate department in 1984 when M.Sc in Pure Chemistry was started. The department has been upgraded as Research Centre of the Mahatma Gandhi University in 2019. The Department of Chemistry also offers ancillary subjects in Chemistry to around 160 students in disciplines such as Zoology and Botany. There are about 170 students learning Chemistry at the UG and PG levels. The Department of Chemistry houses 5 Classrooms,3 Laboratories, 1 Store-room, and a Computer lab with eight advanced computers with internet facility at its disposal for use by both teachers and students of the department. The department library has about 810 volumes of advanced books with both lending and reference options to students in addition to 7000 books and 5 chemical journals in the general library. Books for competitive examinations like CSIR/UGC NET/SET, IIT JAM are also there in the library.

The department gratefully recalls the services and contributions of all its retired/transferred teachers and non-teaching staff who in their various positions as HOD /faculty member/ staff members promoted the development of the department. The department has 9 teachers and 3 laboratory staff. Six members of the department have research degrees. Each and every member is dedicated to the well being and development of the college as well as the department. The Department continuously works to produce brilliant young chemists who, by their scientific abilities can work for the benefit of humanity. In creating a scientific temperament the students are encouraged to develop skills of analytical thinking, experimentation, and application of knowledge gained.

Our teachers guide the projects of students in UG and PG classes.   Department has signed MoU with International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IIUCNN), Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Research work of faculty members is supported by the national and state funding agencies such as DST, CSIR, UGC, KSCSTE. Research output is recognized by publications in international and national journals.

Certificate Course:

Food Safety and Quality Control in collaboration with AGMARK, Kottayam

List of research projects:

1. UGC Sponsored Minor research projects

• “NR/PAN of NR/PMMA Graft Co polymer Synthesis and Characterisation”:

Dr. Daisy Joseph

• “Synthesis of alpha formyl ketene dithio acetal pyrimidine derivatives”; Dr.Annie Mathews
• “Removal of heavy metals from water using low cost adsorbent”: Dr. Suma Bino Thomas
• “Characterisation, Electron donating, Acid Base Properties and Catalytic Activity of Mg/Zn Mixed Oxides”, Dr. Jalaja J.Malayan
• “Characterisation, Acid-Base Properties and Catalytic Activity of Magnesia Alumina Mixed Oxides”; Dr. Jalaja J. Malayan
• “Analysis and Catalytic Activity of Soil Samples” ; Dr. Jalaja J. Malayan
• “Synthesis and Characterisation of Mixed Ligand Complexes of Ni (II)”; Jinu Mathew

1. KSCSTE Sanctioned Projects

• FT IR, FT-Raman, FT-NMR and DFT abinitio calculations of a novel compound 2-(4-methoxy benzoyl ) -3,3- bis (methyl sulsanyl)prop-2-enal, Dr.Annie Mathews
• Surface Characterisation and Catalytic Activity of ZnO/Al₂O₃ mixed oxides, Jalaja J. Malayan
• Synthesis and Characterisation of mixed ligand morpholin dithiocarbamato complexes of copper (II). Jinu Mathew

Research Guides in Chemistry

• Suma Bino Thomas
• Jalaja J Malayan
• Mity Thambi

Seminars/Workshops organised by the Department

1. UGC Sponsored Three day Work Shop on Experimental Chemistry, MACRO TO MICRO LEVEL conducted by PG Department of Chemistry, Baselius College, Kottayam held on 28, 29 and 30^th September 2016.
2. UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Recent Trends in Chemistry held on 13^th and 14^th November 2014.
3. UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Modern Trends in Organic Chemistry held on 23^rd and 24^th
4. One day Symposium on Promoting Science and Mathematics, Sponsored by IISER, Trivandrum and conducted by PG Department of Chemistry, Baselius College, Kottayam, held on 19^th September 2017.

Major activities of the department:

• Industrial visits, Industrial collaborations, seminars, workshops
• Career guidance, mentoring and counseling
• Annual fest- CHEMFEST
• Personality development programmes
• Talks by eminent scientists from academia and industry.
• Science Exhibition
• Curies Conclave : PowerPoint presentation by UG and PG students on relevant topics once in a month
• The Free Radicals – In – house journal: Collection of research articles by the UG students
• Society oriented programs
• Career guidance
• Bridge course in chemistry for first year undergraduate students

Outstanding Alumni: A long list of distinguished alumni of Chemistry department, to name a few

1. PH Kurian IAS
2. Suresh Mathew, Director, SCS, M. G. University
3. Jayachandran K, Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, Canada
4. Jayaprakash K. N., Principal Scientist, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, USA
5. Anilkumar S, PRO, CUSAT (Retd.)
6. M. M. Ponamma, Senior Scientist, RRII, Kottayam (Retd.)
7. K. N. Pushpakumari, Director, R & D, AVT Spices Ltd.
8. Manoj Kurien Jacob, Scientist, RRII, Kottayam
9. Philip Cherian, Senior Marketing Manager, MILMA
10. Densely Jose, Principal, M. A. College, Kothamangalam
11. Paulson Kurien, Executive Chemist, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
12. Anu C. Kuruvilla, Senior Copy Editor, The New Indian Express, Kochi
13. Binuraj, Principal Correspondent at Asianet News
14. Krishna Ramachandran, Q A Lab Technologist, Shell Canada Ltd.
15. Jibin Abraham Punnoose. Kent University

The department has produced a few ranks both in UG and PG levels.

B.Sc Chemistry – Ranks

1. BINILA K KORAH (96.20 %) – 8^th  (2013-16)
2. JAYASREE S (97.10%) – 6^th    (2014-17)
3. SOUMYA SUKUMAR (97.9%) – 2^nd (2015-18)
4. ASHLEY SUSAN ITTY (97.8%) – 3^rd (2015-18)
5. SRUTHY SUSAN VARGHESE (97.4%) – 4^th (2015-18)
6. ARPPANA BINU (96.9%) – 5^th (2015-18)
7. ARCHANA VIJAYAKUMAR (97.3%) – 4^th (2016-19)

M.Sc Chemistry – Ranks

1. REMYA U – 5^th (2010-12)
2. GEETHA P O (84.5%) – 4^th (2011-13)
3. SNEHA SABU MATHEW (89%) – 7^th (2017-19)
4. RUBINA SHAJAHAN (88%)-10^th (2017-19)

Endowment prizes, instituted by teachers of our department are awarded to our meritorious students in UG and PG classes. The Joseph Chandy foundation Endowment (annual interest on Rs. one lakh) is given to one student from each class on merit cum means basis. In addition to the regular and routine nevertheless effective,  Chalk  and  Talk  method of  teaching as well as practical classes, the department strongly believes in the exploration and exploitation  of  modern  tools  for  effective  communication and better teaching. The LCD projector use of animation enabled power point presentation for diagrams, derivations, complex and complicated concepts, etc. helps the students to understand anything and everything with ease and helps them in a big way to be thorough knowledge wise. Over and above, the students of this department are guided and counselled to take up competitive examinations involving UGC-CSIR, GATE, UPSC, Railways, BSRB, etc., With  these,  it  is  hoped  strongly  that  these students have an edge over others in terms of becoming wholesome, competitive and employable.