Summary
Department of Chemistry plays an important role in strengthening of science and scientific endeavour of IIT Roorkee. Distinguished faculty members provide an environment where the students of B. Tech., M. Tech., M. Sc. and Ph. D. programs learn, explore and discover new chemistry. General areas covered include physical, organic, inorganic and analytical chemistry, however, faculty members are also involved in interdisciplinary research.
Two new faculty members joined the department to strengthen our research and teaching activities in radiochemistry and nanomaterial science. The department is equipped with state-of-art facilities like IR and electronic spectrometer, Gas Chromatograph, GC-Mass, HPLC, AAS, elemental analyzer, flame photometer, cyclic voltammeter etc. to provide industry oriented training to the post-graduated students. With Rs 47 lakh plan and Rs 14 lakh non plan grants, the department procured several equipment.
During the period of report, two research projects sponsored by DST and ISRO with an outlay of Rs 17 Lakh were completed. Nine different projects funded by DST, MHRD, CSIR and ISRO with an outlay of Rs 117 Lakh continued this year while six new projects sponsored by DST, DRDO and CSIR with an outlay of Rs 86 Lakh were started in the above mentioned period. The faculty members visited a number of institutions and participated/ delivered talks in seminar/ symposia / conferences. The number of papers published in referred journals is 96 and 29 research papers were presented in various conferences/ symposia. Students of Ph. D. and M. Tech. are currently pursuing their research in frontier areas of chemistry.
Renovation of laboratories with state of art modular fittings and fuming hoods was done for B. Tech. and integrated M. Sc. (chemistry) students, during this year. One laboratory assistant was selected and appointed in the department. For the modernization and upgradation of the syllabus of chemisry department a curriculum development workshop was organized in the department with several faculty members from five IITs. During this meeting, syllabus for five year integrated M. Sc. (chemistry) program beginning July 2007 and curriculum structure were critically examined and finalized by those faculty members, while the syllabus for common chemistry course for first year of B. Tech. and IDD programs was updated taking into account the syllabi of other IITs and the one at CBSE +2 level.
Major Sponsored Research Schemes and Consultancy Projects
- Synthesis and Analytical Application of Polydentate Macrocycles as Chemical Sensor. PI: A. K. Singh (DRDO).
The two chromium chelates of Schiff bases, N-(acetoacetanilide)-1,2-diaminoethane (L1) and N,N´-bis(acetoacetanilide)-triethylenetetraammine (L2), have been synthesized and explored as neutral ionophores for preparing PVC based membrane sensors selective to Cr (III). The addition of lipophilic anion excluder (NaTPB) and various plasticizers viz. o-NPOE, DOP, DBP, TEHP, and BA have found to improve the performance of the sensors. The best performance was obtained for the membrane sensor having a composition of L1: PVC: DBP: NaTPB in the ratio 5:150:250:3 (w/w). The sensor exhibits Nernstian response in the concentration range 8.9 *10-8 – 1.0 *10-1 M Cr3+ with limit of detection 5.6 *10-8 M. The proposed sensor manifest advantages of relatively fast response (10s) and good selectivity over some alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions. The selectivity behavior of the proposed electrode revealed a considerable improvement as compared to the best previously PVC-membrane electrode for chromium (III) ion. The potentiometric response of the proposed sensor was independent of pH of the test solution in the range of 2.0-7.0. The sensor has found to work satisfactorily in partially non-aqueous media up to 20% (v/v) content of methanol, ethanol and acetonitrile and could be used for a period of 3 months. The proposed electrode was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of chromium ion with EDTA and in direct determination in different water and food samples.
- Synthesis of pyrimidine and thiazoline derivatives and their evaluation for antiinflammatory activity. PI : Prof. S. M. Sondhi (CSIR).
In this project various pyrimidine and thiazoline derivatives have been /are synthesized followed by their characterization and screening for anti inflammatary activity
