Department of Chemistry
The Department of Chemistry (DC) started functioning at Riverside Transit Campus, Padnekkad with the admission of first batch of M.Sc. Chemistry students in 2013. Chemistry provides immense scope for study, research and gainful employment in various sectors and being a branch of prestigious Central University of Kerala, DC offers excellent opportunities for pursuing the Master’s programme and doctoral research programme (Ph.D.). A team of dedicated faculty of the Department provides the students with rigorous instruction and training to equip them specialized in theoretical principles, experimental and analytical skills. The Board of Studies revised the syllabus of M.Sc. Chemistry in 2014 and the new revised syllabus covers broad area of fundamental aspects in modern Chemistry as well all recent research focuses in the advanced Chemistry which helps the students for the parallel preparation of the national level competition exams like CSIR-UGC-NET, GATE etc. Laboratory facilities and infrastructure match the best available elsewhere which include a variety of sophisticated analytical and spectroscopic instruments viz., – Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS), Fluorescence, FTIR, and UV-VIS spectrophotometers, CHNS Elemental analyzer, Gas chromatograph, Thermal system (TGA & DSC), electrochemical work stations, Muffle Furnaces, Rotary Evaporators and various other minor equipment. Overall, the M.Sc. Chemistry programme aims to provide the students with a firm grounding in the theoretical principles besides facilitating the development of analytical dexterity through rigorous hands-on-training on sophisticated analytical instruments. It is rendered unique through application-oriented laboratory exercises designed to enable students acquire the skills essential to pursue successful professional careers in teaching, research or industry, in fields as diverse as medicine to materials, agriculture, environmental management, biotechnology, nanoscience, renewable energy etc. DC also offers various specialized elective courses like Catalysis by molecular sieve materials, Nanomaterials, Renewable Energy, Materials Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Green Chemistry etc. Besides, M.Sc. in Chemistry programme, the DC also offers Ph.D. programme in the thrust research areas. At present the department have six vibrant faculties specialized in different area of chemistry such as industrial-heterogeneous catalysts development, organic chemistry, surface chemistry, polymer chemistry, nanoscience, computational chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, dye sensitized solar cells, ultra-fast electron and energy transfer reactions, catalysis and CO2 capturing etc. All together the faculties have published about 150 publications / books / patents in a highly reputed peer-reviewed international/national Journals. At present the Department is running 3 major research projects supported by DST-SERB, Government of India.