The Chemistry E-Bulletin 2021

Department of ChemistryMaitreyi College

University of Delhi

Greetings from Maitreyi College !

Dear Readers,I am delighted to know that the Department of Chemistry is bringing out the first annual edition of CHEMZONE, The Chemistry E-Bulletin 2021. We, at Maitreyi college emphasize at escalating thestudents’ potential with indispensable support, guidance and encouragement from our committed faculty.Our endeavor has been to contribute to Higher Education not only by enabling the students to get a degreein Science, Commerce or Humanities but also by developing in them the aptitude to think imaginativelyand articulate their views with confidence and conviction. This issue is a promising platform to encouragethe students to display their subject specific expertise, creativity and innovative ideas.

I congratulate and acknowledge the team work of editorial team and the students who have utilized theirtime in a positive ingenious manner through the creation of the first edition of this bulletin during the ongoing pandemic situationBest Wishes

Dr Haritma ChopraPrincipal (Officiating)

F r o m P r i n c i p a l ' s D e s k

Dr. Haritma Chopra

Greetings from the Department of Chemistry!I am proud and delighted to present to you the first annual edition of CHEMZONE, The Chemistry E-Bulletin 2021. This issue is special as this is created by the students and teachers working from their homesduring the COVID -19 lockdown period, expressing their views meaningfully in a positive manner in thetime of great conflict, uncertainty and unpredictability.

The present bulletin is the team work of students of different streams – a creative venture to bring joy,faith and hope through their innovative thinking and artistic accomplishment.

I congratulate the entire editorial team and wish all the students best of luck and hope they continue toscale greater heights in their future endeavors.We hope you enjoy this first edition.Let’s keep the conversation going

With Best WishesDr. Ramesh KumariConvener(Teacher-in -Charge)Department of Chemistry

M e s s a g e f r o m t h eC o n v e n o r

Dr. Ramesh Kumari

The Department of Chemistry, Maitreyi College announces the launchof CHEMZONE, The Chemistry E-Bulletin 2021. The notion ofdesigning the first edition of the department bulletin commences withthe amalgamated efforts of the convenor, members of editorial boardand students. The current pandemic condition couldn’t cast down thevigour and zeal of the team members to work coherently. Chemzone provides an exemplary platform to harness the synergy ofchemistry and chemical advancements in the form of artisticillustrations, anecdotes, knowledge cladded brain teasers etc. Fewsections are drafted in such a manner to manifest the thoughts,emotions and experiences of the teachers and students beautifully. In anutshell, the bulletin showcases an abstract assemblage of scientificinterpretative approach. It comprehensively covers articles under thediverse topics of creative writing, critical coverage of scientificresearch, retrospective segment; a trip down the memory lane (meethiyaadein), factual description, fun filled chemistry puns etc. Theflowing ink section acknowledges the pivotal role of womenresearchers in some of the major breakthroughs in the scientificresearch. The fine art segment constitutes the artistic competence ofthe students and the photographic collage of various departmentalactivities, expeditions and events. Candid debate is the aesthetic way toexpress the point of view of students on certain topics. In view of this,an interesting blog section highlighting a recent research topic iscreated for debate among the students. The editorial team appreciatethe way students participated and defended their thoughts throughrational scientific approach.

With the scientific conviction and noble approach, we present CHEMZONE, The Chemistry E-Bulletin 2021.

Editorial Address

Dr. Haritma Chopra Dr. Ramesh Kumari

Dr. Gazala Ruhi

E D I T O R I A L B O A R D

Dr. Kiran Soni

Dr. Hema Bhandari Dr. Lata Vodwal

Student Editorial Squad

Aditi GovindSingh

Cover pagedesigning

Stuti Dureja Editorial Head

Aditi SinghCreative Head

Khyati SharmaContent designing

Juhi Content designing

ShristiQuiz & puzzles

Leesha Cover page

& logodesigning

I am honored to be part of the first edition of CHEMZONE, The Chemistry E-Bulletin 2021. I wouldtake this opportunity to thank our Teacher-in-Charge Dr. Ramesh Kumari, the teacher editorial board, thestudent editorial team, and our entire chemistrydepartment for their untiring efforts. “Together it is possible” is our mantra for this yearbecause amidst a global pandemic chemistrydepartment proudly introduced its first edition ofCHEMZONE. Together we have evaporated our fears,distilled the essence of our learning, and crystalized it inthe form of this e-bulletin. As we resumed workingtogether through virtual platforms, this bulletin testedour strength to rebound, reorganize and reimagine. Wedid so knowing together it is possible.I am grateful to be part of this department and spendmy three years grasping the lessons that will be with meforever. Chemsophy our annual chemistry festival wasthe highlight of the days I spent at this institution,Radha Sai Ram Chemical Society has been more than asociety to me, and it has been a learning experiencewhich would engulf me with nostalgia for life.

S t u t i D u r e j a

P r e s i d e n t ' s N o t e

C O N T E N T SCONTENTS01 Department at a Glance 07

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46

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51

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17

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Meethi Yaadein

Events and Activities

Industry & Lab Visits

Students' AchievementsTeachers' Section

Flowing Ink

Blogger's Corner

Internship opportunities

Chemists' RetreatEsteemed Alumni

59 Students' Artwork

DEPARTMENT OF

CHEMISTRY

The Department of Chemistry was established in 1967 inthe old building of Maitreyi College. The Departmentoffers B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry and interdisciplinarycourses of B.Sc. (Prog.) Physical Science and LifeScience.

Profile

The Department envisions being a part of the College 'smission to be recognized as a place of knowledge and thecentre of excellence. The Department offers the highestquality of Chemistry undergraduate curriculum forefficient learning, teaching, research and mentorship andholistic approach for the overall development of thestudents.

Objectives

The Chemistry Department has three spaciousLaboratories, well equipped with sophisticatedinstruments to support the smooth conduct of practicaland research work at undergraduate level. The skilledLaboratory staff manage availability of chemicals, properhandling of apparatus, calibration of instruments etc. TheDepartmental library owns a rich archive of more than500 Chemistry books for the benefit of students. Studentshave the privilege to access computers, laptops and ICTequipped classrooms.

Amenities and facilities

Awards and recognitions at national and Internationallevels are another accomplishment of the faculty. TheDepartment has shown active participation as Resourceperson at NCERT, IGNOU, PGDN programme, as incharge in NCC and NSS units of college, as studentunion advisors etc. The Department has bagged grantsfor 3 innovation projects and 4 UGC start-up researchprojects.

Achievements

01

FACULTY

The Chemistry Department has dedicated academic staff with thorough subject pedagogy andexcellent proficiency in research. The Department proclaims 40 research publications, 4 books, 2patents and several e - modules published by the faculty members in past five years. Several awards& accolades are conferred upon the faculty of the department.

NON-TEACHING STAFF

The non-teaching staff is the backbone of the Department. Their consistent efforts help in thesmooth functioning of the laboratory work. They have inculcated lab etiquettes among the studentslike, judicial use of chemicals, follow lab safety protocols, working carefully with the instrumentsetc. The Chemistry Department has a perfect amalgamation of experienced and young lab staff.The faculty members and the lab staff of the department have worked coherently for years toensure the lab learning process fun. 02

Dr. Hema BhandariResearch Area:

Conducting polymerbased corrosion

resistant coatings

Dr. Gazala RuhiResearch Area:

Smart self healingnano composite

coatings

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Dr. Lata VodwalDr. Hema Bhandari & Dr. Gazala Ruhi

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The Radha SaiRam Chemical Society of Chemistry Department was established in the year 1992. Thesociety was named in the memory of Ms. Radha Sairam. The Department organizes various activities,lectures, industrial and laboratory visits, fests, student election etc., under the aegis of this society.Chemsophy-The Departmental Fest and Rafia Memorial Lecture have been organized for many years withstudent participation from all the three years. The student representatives and their assigned portfolios forthe year 2020-21 are; Stuti Dureja (President), Aditi Singh (Vice President), Kajal (General Secretary),Riya Nimbekar(Treasurer) and Juhi (Joint Secretary). The other active members, carrying out importantresponsibilities are; Leesha and Aditi Govind Singh (Art Head), Babli (Volunteer Management), PriyanshaJain and Ritika Sabharwal (Social Media Head).

President Vice President

Treasurer

General Secretary

Joint Secretary

Social Media Head

Social Media Head

Art HeadArt Head

Volunteer Management Head

Radha SaiRam Chemical Society

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SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROJECTS, 2020

"An Overview on Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19 Pandemic)- Environmental andClimatic Changes During Nation Wide Lockdown."

Mentor - Dr. Ramesh Kumari Mentee - Sapna, Parushini Singh, Sakshi

"Ayurveda- A Pragmatic Plan Against COVID-19." Mentor - Dr. Ramesh Kumari, Dr. Gitiika Bhasin

Mentee - Shraddha Bathla, Nitika, Pramita, Leesha, Meeshika

"Phyotochemical Analysis of Selected Indian Medicinal Plants to Know the AntivirialPotential Against Novel Coronavirus"

Mentor - Dr. Ramesh Kumari, Dr. Navneet Kumar, Dr. Kiran Soni Mentee - Riya Nimbekar, Shreya, Sakshi, Rupa, Kajal, Sakshi Maan, Diksha

"Bringing Lab to Our Home: Bio-enzyme and its Multiutility in Everyday Life"Mentor - Dr. Swarndeep Kaur Sethi, Dr. Kiran Soni, Dr. Gita Batra Narula

Mentee - Anjali Sharma, Ayesha Rehman, Himanshi Choudhary, Priyansha Jain, VershaChoudhary

"Computational Study of Homo Chirality and Hetero Chirality and Different DrugsInteraction in Biological System Towards COVID-19"

Mentor - Dr. Kiran Soni, Dr. Gita Batra Narula, Dr. Shivalika Sharma Mentee - Keti Singh, Nishita, Aditi Govind Singh, Khushboo, Kajal

Published in "International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology", (2021)Vol- 08, Issue-03 p-2119.

"Nano Scale Perspective of Corona Viruses"Mentor - Dr. Gazala Ruhi, Dr. Hema Bhandari

Mentee - Stuti Dureja, Aditi Singh, Muskaan, Harshita Sharama, Sakshi Sharma

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CENTRE FOR RESEARCH, MAITREYI COLLEGE

N O M A D I C | 2 4

Late Dr. Rafia Nuzhat RizviDr. Rafia was an inspirer, a guide, a mentor and the life of any room! Her life storyis nothing short of inspirational. She graduated from Aligarh Muslim Universitywith a Masters degree in Chemistry and went onto publish her doctorate in OrganicChemistry. Students would describe her as being charming, perfectionist, disciplinarian and hard taskmaster. She expected greatness, creativity and criticalthinking from her students and led them by example. Her strength lay in her everpositive attitude towards life and the desire to fight every obstacle in spite of herhealth constraints, with a smile. As a mark of respect to her, the department hasbeen organizing Dr. Rafia Memorial Lecture every year.

Late Dr. Sulekha DograDr. Sulekha was a fervent believer in strong and independent women being abackbone of a cultured society. She believed that education was the backbone of itall thus she made it her life’s work. She received her Bachelors and Masters inChemistry from Lucknow University, where she was the topper and Gold Medalist.She was granted PhD in Natural Products Synthesis. She joined Maitreyi Collegeto start her teaching career as a Lecturer of Organic Chemistry in 1972. When thecollege acquired its new building in Chanakyapuri, she was instrumental in designing of the Chemistry laboratories. She retired from the Maitreyi college asAssociate Professor of Chemistry.

Dr. Shanti KesavanDr. Shanti was one of the pioneers of our Chemistry department who madeenormous contribution towards the development of the Department. She did herPost graduation from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu and received her Ph.D.,degree from University of Delhi. She was an expert in Inorganic Chemistry andused to adopt innovative ways in her teaching. Her masterpiece was “InorganicQualitative Analysis of Ions”. It was a pleasure for all teachers to be associatedwith her in practical classes. She was a great teacher and the students were veryfond of her.

Remembering the Pioneers ofDepartment

Late Ms. Radha Sai RamMs. Radha was the one who established the Department of Chemistry. She playedan active and important role in designing the laboratories. She was elected as thesecretary of the Staff Council and served the college efficiently and effectively.Radha Sairam Chemical Society was established in 1992 in memory of Ms. RadhaSairam. It has student representation from all the three years as President, VicePresident, Treasurers and Secretaries.

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MeethiYaadein

Carrying Forward the Legacy

My experience of 33 years with our ChemistryDepartment was wonderful. The guidance and thelearning from my seniors, Mrs. Radha Sairam, Dr.Sulekha Dogra, Dr. Shanthi Kesavan and Dr. RafiaRizvi, right from the first day of my joining, paved theway for my journey till retirement. They taught me tobe disciplined, punctual and dedicated towards thework. My contemporaries and junior teachers werefriendly and supportive. There were arguments duringthe departmental meetings but they always were healthyand led to the welfare and benefits of the students.

In my earlier years, we strictly focused only on theacademic work and I enjoyed that with the support ofmy colleagues, lab staff and dear students. I vividlyremember the days when I, Shobha and Pinkey used torun from pillar to post to meet and discuss with theexperts in IIT, IARI- PUSA, CPCB, JNU and DUregarding the environmental chemistry papers, boththeory and practical. Though it was a hard time, weenjoyed working collectively and responsibly especiallyin standardizing the experiments.

I always remember the time when we had organized aNational Seminar in 2004, the first time in ourdepartment. Shanthi, Ramesh, and I used to spend longhours on many days discussing, writing matters forfolders and souvenirs, and reading the proof, etc. Thatwas a wonderful time when we had so much fun andlaughter.

DR. AMIRTHAANAND

07

It was a nice experience when we had arranged an alumni function and lunch in our department. Theformer students including those from abroad shared their nostalgic memories about our department. Iand Gita had a good time collecting the details about our alumni and preparing a directory. In fact, thisexercise was helpful when the alumni association of the College was revamped. I just cannot forgetour practical exam sessions. Apart from the hectic work prior to and on the days of our respectiveexams, we had a whole fanfare with sumptuous lunch sessions, with each one of us bringing thespecial items. I remember the external examiners specially the male teachers saying that the MaitreyiCollege Chemistry department is the best one in providing tasty food and hospitality. Even our menfolk at home used to say that they get nice and varieties of food only during our practical exams (as ifwe do not cook nice food on other days). The participation of our lab staff those days were exemplary.

My experience with the lab staff started when Ranjit came to my home to tell me that I was asked tocome and meet the teacher in charge. This is how I got my appointment here. This is my first and lastcollege that I worked in Delhi. Working with Rameshwar Dayal was an experience in itself. Such adedicated person, highly disciplined and strict. During my headships, I have spent a lot of time insorting out the quarrels between him and other lab staff. He was giving only the bare minimumquantities of the chemicals to various labs and never gave even a little more. So, the senior labassistants, in charge of labs had to argue with him. Rameshwar Dayal treated the department as hishome and was very judicial in spending money or chemicals even though they are not his own. All thelab staff were co-operative to me. I would have offended them on many occasions regarding theirwork but they never took it to heart and they obeyed me. Although I had cordial relationship with all,it was special with those who were working in the department when I joined- Rameshwar Dayal, HariDass, Ranjit, Hansraj, Vinod and Jagdish.

My experience with each and every batch of students was memorable. I found that the students alwaysmaintained a distance from me. But after completing the course and leaving the College, many keep intouch with me even today. They keep sending new year and teacher’s day greetings without fail. Ittouches my heart. I feel that I am fortunate to have the students of even 80’s and 90’s who love andrespect me till today.

I cherish many more experiences and memories regarding our College and the Department. Though Iwould like to pen down all, it would be seamless and require a lot of space in the magazine. So, I stophere.

I N T H E S P O T L I G H T

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Her roots in academics go back to her years inPunjab where she completed her graduation, post-graduation and M. Phil. Beyond academics, Shepursued her interests in languages through variouscourses in French & Punjabi. She further went onto groom her interests in music through formaltraining a diploma in vocal & instrumental musicat the Prayag Sangeet Smiti, Allahabad. Sheworked for over 13 years in various colleges inPunjab and in 1995 she joined the family ofMaitreyi College. Since then, she was an integralpart of the faculty, where she dedicated herself toall activities related to teaching. She wasenthusiastically involved & contributed to otherextra-curricular activities at the college like NCC,student union, dramatics, beauty peasants, rangolietc.

She was an active member of college union formany years and served as a convener of thecanteen committee, ushering in quite a fewimprovements. She has over the years, many atimes been one of the panel judges of the mostcelebrated event, "The Miss Maitreyi Peagent".These are just some of her contributions andaccomplishments, among the many. She retired inSeptember 2019.

DR. LATANOHRIA

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"The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge isthe power of teaching " - Aristotle.On September 5, 2020, a Google meet wasorganized by the students to express their gratitudetowards the teachers for guiding and inspiring them.The online program commenced with mellifluousSaraswati Vandana. The prayer was followed by avideo compilation, which was a befitting gesture ofour unending love for them. Next to amaze andentertain the viewers, an enthralling danceperformance was presented. Students also presenteda musical performance to thank the teachers fortheir guidance and support. Though COVID -19 haddistanced them physically, it failed to stop them forconnecting with their teachers through amusinggames. Students had designed personalized cardsfor the teachers, expressing how the memoriesthey've made with teachers will truly remainembedded in their hearts . They also created a photocollection of all teachers and depicted it in form of avideo as a token of heartfelt gratitude. Theprogramme ended on a good note , while theteachers cherished and blessed all the students.

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES 2021

Teachers’ day Celebration Rafia Memorial Lecture

The Radha Sairam Chemical Society of ChemistryDepartment, Maitreyi College organized RafiaMemorial Lecture on September 10, 2020. Thelecture was conducted on Google meet platform. Dr.Monendra Grover, Principal Scientist –IndianAgricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhiwas the invited guest on this occasion. He delivered atalk on “Quantum Computation in BiologicalSystems”. During his talk, he highlighted variousquantum phenomena to explain the biologicalsystems at cellular level. The relevance of quantumcomputing in solving complex problems was alsodiscussed in detail. The lecture was attended by thefaculty members and students of various departments(113 attendees in total). Enthusiastic students alsowrote feedback, requesting to organize more lectureson entanglement, intercalation etc. in future.

Dr. Monendra Grover

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On February 9 2021, An International webinar"The IUPAC Global Women Breakfast Day" wasorganized by the Department. Dr LakshmiRagupathy, former Director Ministry ofEnvironment and Forest, delivered talk on"Environmentally Sound Management of Wastes" .Students and Teachers were cordially invited toattend this webinar. The talk session was followedby a competition, “Trash to Treasure”. Studentspresented their artistic and scientific perspective totransform trash and waste into reusable ecofriendlymaterials. The event witnessed more than 100student registrations. Among them, 37 studentsparticipated in the competition. Cash prizes weregiven to the winners of the competition.

On November 19, 2020, a freshers party wasorganized by The Radha Sairam ChemicalSociety of the Department. It started with lamplighting and then a general introduction andinteraction with the college staff succeeded by awelcome message by our honorable PrincipalMadam and the senior faculty members. Virtualgames, Miss Fresher's Competition and funelements were arranged to make the eventmemorable and enjoyable for the freshers. Theparty ended on a happy note and blessings of allthe teachers and seniors.

IUPAC Global Women'S Breakfast

Day eventVirtual Freshers' Day

Dr. Lakshmi Ragupathy

Tap to see morechemistry_maitreyi

Glimpses of Miss Fresher'sCompetition

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National Science day

celebration

Chemsophy-2021, the Chemistry Departmental festwas organized at virtual platform on February 18 &19, 2021. Various events were scheduled in this fest,like Quiz Competition, Virtual Lab Fun, Paper andPoster Presentations. Around 100 students werepresent during the Inauguration Ceremony. Around130 students have participated in various events (24in poster presentation, 9 in paper presentation, 24 inQuiz, 75 in virtual lab fun). The topics of thepresentation and poster covered diverse areas, likeGreen Computing, Sustainable Development,Pythagoras, Living with the Virus; The way forward,Role of Chemistry in the Present Scenario. The eventshave enriched presentation skills, critical thinking,systematic approach towards studying a problem,ability to look for viable solutions etc. among thestudents.

National Science Day is celebrated on February28 every year to commemorate the discovery ofthe Raman Effect and to pay tribute to Sir CVRaman, the first Indian Nobel Laureate inscience.The Radha Sairam Chemical Societycelebrated this historic day by organising an“Article/Slogan/ Poster Competition” on thetheme “Chemistry in Everyday Life”. The eventwas held in online mode and the participantswere required to submit their entries within astipulated time period on a google form. Theevent was a great success with zealousparticipation from students of various collegesand disciplines.

Chemsophy-2021

Annual chemistry fest

Glimpses of National Science DayPoster Making Competition

Virtual Chemsophy-2021

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Every year, International Women’s Day (IWD) iscelebrated on March 8 to commemorate thepolitical, cultural and socio-economicachievements of women in past and present,throughout the world. IWD also brings attentionto issues such as gender equality and violenceagainst women and plays a key role in thewomen’s rights movement. The official IWD2021 UN theme was “Women in leadership:Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19world”. To mark the occasion, Radha SairamChemical Society organized a competition byinviting powerful, inspiring and motivationalquotes on women. The quotes were to besubmitted on google form within a specified timeperiod and the word limit was restricted to 100.The event was celebrated with much splendorwith huge participation coming from students ofall disciplines from various colleges. Image Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/koEo6VLq8nhra4G78

International Women’s Day

Celebration

Glimpses of Farewell-2021

On April 24, 2021, a virtual farewell was organized forthe graduating batch over the google meet platform. Itwas much fun including self- written poetry recitationby the juniors, dance performances, special videomessages and various games to make the daymemorable for the graduating batch. The farewell endedwith the blessings of all the teachers and with teary buthappy eyes. "The goodbyes to old journeys areimportant to welcome ourselves to the new journeysahead. Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime.We will take the best, forget the rest and someday willfind that these are the best of times". It's always hard tosay goodbyes , but this one will lead to greatachievements in the life.

farewell of 2021

Batch

CHEMSOPHY Reminiscences of 2020

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RAFIA MEMORIAL LECTURE

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THE GOURMET COMPETITION

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The Chef Competition organized by theChemistry Department was an absolutelyfun filled day. It was an opportunity to seethe culinary skills of the teachers. Thedisplayed recipes were a perfectamalgamation of flavor, texture, taste,nutrition and novelty in presentation. It wasa delight to see that the hands which areperfect in demonstrating experiments, areequally quintessential in showing thegourmet skills. This beautiful eventwitnessed the participation of the facultymembers of different departments.

Teacher as an Educator

Teacher as an Art i s t

INDUSTRIAL VISITSNATIONAL THERMAL POWER CORPORATION, DADRI

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INDUSTRIAL VISITSWASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT, SONIA VIHAR

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LABORATORY VISITCSIR-NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY, NEW DELHI

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JAM Rank Holders 2020 & 2021

STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENTS

Shivangi Saini, 2021 Batch 238 Rank

Shreyasi Majumdar, 2020 Batch IIT Roorkee

Ishika Agarwal, 2020 BatchIIT Madras

Arushi Rawat, 2020 BatchIIT Hyderabad

Komal, 2020 Batch IIT Roorkee

Anita Meena, 2020 BatchIIT Delhi

Kavita Meena, 2020 Batch IIT Delhi

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STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENTS

Muskaan, II Year/VI Semeter (8.92CGPA)

Academic Excellence Award Winners

Yamini Chadha, III Year/VI Semester(9.541 CGPA)

Janasthuty D, I Year/II Semester (9.68CGPA)

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MuskaanIII Year

STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENTSCompetitions and conferences

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Riya Nimbekar, II Year

Harshita SharmaIII year

Stuti DurejaIII Year

Aditi SinghIII Year

Stuti Dureja, III Year

Sakshi SharmaIII Year

Aditi Singh, III Year

3rd Prize, Design slide - Case study Competition,Avgaahan, 2021 Interdisciplinary Academic Fest

Best Oral Presentation International Interdisciplinary - Conference on

"Sustainable Future For Humanity: The New Learning Curve"

2nd Prize,Summer Internship Programme (2019-20)

Centre for Research, Maitreyi College

Ieachers'Section

Where there is a passion to cook; there is way to artisticallymanipulate the textureand flavors of food by applying basic science. Molecular Gastronomy is a branchof food science that offers limitless opportunities to explore the culinary fieldfrom the perspective of chemistry and physics. This includes designing of recipeswith techniques like Cryotherapy (using liquid nitrogen at -196° C), bubblingcauldron effect, spherification (surface tension phenomena), foaming, frothing etc.and using non conventional gelating agentsand thickening products.

Fruit caviar or Faux Caviar is one of the most popular and easy to design recipesin molecular gastronomy. The liquid fruit juices are allowed to obtain caviar liketexture (juice filled pearls) using spherification technique. In this technique, thinmembrane semisolid sphereshaving burst in the mouth effect is achieved with theliquids. The two approaches are direct and reverse spherification.

In direct spherification, the fruit juice containing sodium alginate/gellan gum isadded drop wise in the water containing calcium chloride or calcium lactate. Thisresults in the formation of calcium induced thin gel layer encasing the liquidphase. In reverse spherification, the soluble calcium salt is dripped into the settlingbath of fruit juice and sodium alginate mixture. The drops acquire spherical shapebecause of surface tension and the spheres are stabilized by instantaneousformation of gelatinous shell of calcium alginate (drop impact gelation process).Sodium alginate and soluble Calcium salts are the two basic components of thistechnique.

Chemistry of Spherification: One of the precursors, Sodium alginate is a sodiumsalt form of alginic acid; awater soluble natural polymer having repetition of twomonomer units, (1.4)-β-D-mannuronate and (1.4)-α-L-gulunorate. Alginate isextracted from brown algae and is a prevalently used material infood andpharmaceutical industry. This biodegradable polymer has the ability to form gelwhen comes in contact with divalent cations, like Ba2+, Ca2+ etc. The formed gelis basically due to the cross linking of the polymer chain with divalent cationsresulting into the formation of an extended network. The gelatinous film aroundthe spherical liquid droplets to give the Caviar like texture is due to the occurrenceof this process.

Molecular Gastronomy

Chemistry of

By- Dr. Gazala Ruhi

Faux Caviar

A fertilizer is a chemical that isapplied to the soil to furnish thenecessary nutrients for the growth anddevelopment of plants. Primarily,nitrogen (N) is identified as the mostsignificant element. About 50-70% ofN applied to the soil as a conventionalsource of fertilizers. It is slowlyreleased to the soil and simultaneouslythe leaching process started as a resultthe nitrogen utilization efficiency(NUE) by plants found very low. Theleaching of nutrients happens due tothe highly water-soluble nitrates. Theefficacy of the supply of plantnutrients in a controller patterngradually raises the nutrient utilizationefficiency (NUE). It also reducesenvironmental problems as themaintained nutrient supply is matchedwith demand of the plant. So it is veryimportant to improve the formulationof the fertilizers to supply nutrientsfor the proper plant growth.Controlled release agriculturalformulations have long beenrecognized as the best solution to thetraditional formulations. With theimplementation of slow-releasefertilizers (SRFs), the amount offertilizer required has been drasticallyreduced. Apart from this, fertilizer useproficiency is significantly improvedand residual impact on environmentalhas also become insignificance.

In view of this, the neem coated urea(NCU) fertilizer formulation is found tobe one of the best alternatives to supplythe adequate nutrients without raisingany environmental concerns. In theNCU formulation, neem oil is coatedover the surface of urea granules. As aresult of this, it becomes less availableto water and also allows its slow releasefacilitating plants to gain morenutrients. It also improves the overallyield of the crops. Researchers haveobserved that neem (neem oil) serves asa nitrification inhibitor and also acts asa botanical insecticide. They havereported the application of Nitrogennutrient on Wheat and Paddy crops as asupplement and observed anexponential increase in the yield atcommercial level. The NCU alsoenhances the absorption of Nitrogen,Phosphorus, and Potassium.Furthermore, it reduces the Nitrogenloss by more than 50-60%. Researchersstudied the plant's growth parameterssuch as a number of branches plantheight, and dry weight; found anincrease by 50% more along with a riseof 16-20% in the overall production.

Looking at significant outcomes of NCUand its recognition by the agricultures,the Government of India makesnumerous policies and also provides thesubsidy on neem coated urea to make itmore popularized amongst the farmers.In July 2004, National FertilizersLimited (NFL) became the firstcompany permitted to produce andmarket NCU in India. The Departmentof Fertilizer (DOF) made it mandatoryfor all indigenous producers of urea toproduce 75 % of their production asNCU in March 2015. A response in LokSabha in January 2018 states that DOFhas made it mandatory for all theindigenous producers of urea to produce100% of their total production ofsubsidized urea as Neem Coated Urea(NCU).

The schematic diagram for the manufacture of Neem Coated Urea

Dr. Lata Vodwal

24

Water pollution has become one of the major concernsaround the world. Presence of various pollutants such asheavy metals, dyes and pesticides in water have becomea severe environmental and public health problem, sincethe accumulation of these non-biodegradable heavymetals in human body cause severe diseases. Therefore,it is necessary to remove these pollutants from thecontaminated water prior to its discharge to theenvironment to protect the aquatic lives and humanbeing. A large number of strategies are available toremove the organic /inorganic pollutants fromwastewater such as ion exchange, solvent extraction,physical and chemical precipitation, cyanide treatment,reverse osmosis, membrane filtration, electrochemicalprecipitation and adsorption processes etc. Most of theseexisting pollutants removal technologies are imperfectdue to their high cost and complicated procedure. It hasbecome required to develop new technologies usingwidely available low cost materials for the removal ofheavy metal ions.

Among these techniques photocatalysis is one of themost efficient method for wastewater treatment. Thismethod effectively degrades organic or inorganicpollutants using low-cost photocatalytic materials thatcan be modified to utilize inexhaustible solar light tofurther increase the degradation process. Photo catalysisis found to be one of the most effective, feasible andgreen technique for water treatment which includesdegradation of persistent organic/inorganic pollutants inwater and convert them into non-hazardous compounds.In the recent years graphene nanocomposites basedphotocatalysts become a potential material forenvironmental remediation due to its unique 2Dstructure, graphene is used as the support to increase thespecific surface area of the photocatalyst, incorporationof semiconductors in graphene matrix could enhance theperformance of photo catalysts by increasing the charge

By-

separation and inhibit the recombinationof photo generated electron and holepairs. The optical and electricalproperties of graphene are enhanced bypreparation of its composites withmetal/metal oxide and polymers whichexhibit suppressed electron–hole-pairrecombination rates and diminish energygaps due to valence band level andconduction band level modifications,leading to the better absorption of lightradiation and enhancement in thephotocatalytic performance ofnanocomposites.

25

Similarly, nitrogen doped graphene basedZnO/ZnFe2O4 and ZnO/CoFe2O4 photocatalystswere developed by Chandel et al. in 2020. Thematerials showed superior photocatalyticperformance and recycla-bility for toxic dyes suchas methyl orange and malachite green. Themechanistic view of photocatalytic degradation ofpollutants using these nanocomposites isrepresented in the Figure. Under visible-lightirradiation, mixed metal oxide (ZnFe2O4)becomes excited which leads to generation of electrons and holes, while another metal oxidesuch as ZnO cannot be excited due to the wideband gap. Hence, part of the photogeneratedelectrons in the conduction band of mixed metal

Recently Chandu and coworkers [Chandu, B,Kurmarayuni, CM, Kurapati, S et al. (2020)Carbon Lett. 30:, 225.] reported reduced grapheneoxide sheets decorated with silver nanoparticlesusing custard apple leaf which showed remarkablephotocatalytic performance upto 96% formethylene blue in 2 h under sunlight.Nanocomposites based on graphene with differentmetal oxide such as TiO2, ZnO, Fe2O3, V2O5,ZrO2 and CuO have been found to be mostefficient materials for degradation of various dyesand other organic pollutants from contaminantwater .

oxide (ZnFe2O4) transfer to the conduction bandof ZnO since the conduction band potential ofZnFe2O4 (-1.54 eV) is more negative than that ofZnO (-0.31 eV). The other part of thephotogenerated electrons quickly transfer to thesurface of rGO due to the ultra-high electronmobility that rGO has and this processsignificantly inhibits the rapid recombination ofphotogenerated electrons and holes in ZnFe2O4.Hence, ternary nanocomposites based onZnO/ZF/NG and ZnO/CF/NG showed higherphotocatalytic performance for degradation of toxic dyes by generating reactive species such aselectrons, holes, hydroxyl radicals andsuperoxides as indicated in Figure. Additionally,use of conducting polymers such as polyanilineand polypyrrole in graphene offer enhancedphotocatalytic performance. Moreover,nanocomposites based on graphene oxidemodified with biodegradable and nontoxicbiopolymers such as chitosan and cellulose hybridnanomaterials were exhibited enhanced theadsorption ability for the contaminants. This studydemonstrates that graphene-based nanocompositesare very promising candidate for development ofhigh performance photocatalysts forenvironmental remediation.

Figure Proposed Mechanistism of photocatalytic degradation of pollutants using(a) ZnO/ZF/NG and (b) ZnO/CF/NG nanocomposites. Chandel et al. (2020)

26

Elements in human body: We find Chemistry in ourdaily life. Chemistry is the branch of Science whichdeals with the properties and changes of matter. Theair that we breathe comprises of Chemistry as itcontains oxygen and various other gases.

Chemicals of food in day to day life: The secondmost crucial necessity of human life is food. Now itis the invention of Chemistry that we have artificialpreservatives which prevents the food from spoilingfrom micro organisms. Not only this but with thehelp of it one can cook food by making desirablechanges in the recipes.

In the end it wont be wrong if I say that our existence is very much based onChemistry. It has a huge role to play in every single aspect of our lives be itour homes, food, medicines, textiles, space and there is a never ending list.

Power of Chemistry at home: There is no suchplace other than our very homes if we want to seethe power of Chemistry. Having said thatrefrigerators, microwaves, television, washingmachines, kitchen appliances are all results ofChemistry.

Chemistry in Medicine: It is helpful inimproving global healthcare from basic researchwhich helps in understanding mechanismsunderlying diseases and accordingly medicinesare made.

By- Dr. Durgesh Rawat

Image source: https://chemistry.gsu.edu/organicmedicinal-chemistry/ , https://www.thoughtco.com/elements-in-the-human-body-p2-602188 27

The use of metals like Gold, Silver ,Copper, Tin, Lead,and Iron were known by the Vedic people. These metalswere used in that society for agriculture, house hold work,and trading. Artha sastra describes the qualities of gold andsilver. The colour was taken as the criteria for quality andpurity in olden time. Gold which is of lotus petal color, softlustrous and not sound producing has been stated to of bestquality as compared to reddish yellowand the red colouredrespectively. Similarly white coloured silver with soft andsmooth properties was considered to be having the highestGUNA (Quality)

Nagarjuna has been cited as a great chemist andmetallurgist. The renowned Iron Pillar inside the QutubMinar premises, Delhi stands as a live example to affirmthe outstanding, scientific and metallurgical expertise ofthe ancient Indian chemists. This pillar has not yet beentarnished or rusted despite it being standing bare to sun,cold, rain and extreme weather conditions fromthe past1500 years. Nataraja statue, the God of dance has beenmade of five metals- Panch-Dhatu is also indicationof theinnovative smelting technology in ancient India. Theregular zinc production technology by the sophisticateddistillation process has been reported in the 12th centuryAD at Zawar in Rajasthan.

Chemistry is the study of matter present inUniverse. This is an experimental sciencewhich deals with understanding onpreparation, properties, reactivity, andapplications of pure metals and organiccompounds in natural and synthetic form.Chemistry in Indian context has been termedas Rasayan Sastra in Sanskrit. The very oldstudy of the conversion of Basic substance tosome new form was known as Alchemy. Thehighlights of the realizations of our incrediblecontribution is evident from the literary workand archeological excavation work of ournation. Vaiseshika Darshana of kanadapromulgated the concept of Anu (Atom) andits indivisibility and the law of cause andeffect.

By- Dr. Ramesh Kumari

THE REMARKABLE ANCIENTINDIAN CHEMISTRY

Iron Pillar in Qutub complex

28

Medicinal Chemistry has been used in olden timein the form of traditional ayurvedic treatment. Ayurvedic system of medicine is still the mostolden yet prevailing practice by the use of herbsand spices. Five types of salts and 84 types ofwines have been reported in Charak Samhita. Useof various chemicals like copper sulphate,cinnabar, cosmetic formulations, perfumes, essential oils has been mentioned Vagbhatt’sAstangrhudaya. The use of mercury and iron inmedicines shows that chemistry must have beenpracticed at advanced level. These are just fewexamples of wonderful institution of chemicalsciences of ancient India.

The description of Rasayan shala and the use ofmore than 32 instruments has been mentioned inthe 7th chapter of Ras Ratna Samuchchay. Variousglass products has been found in the excavation inUttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal and Karnataka. These products were rich in properties liketransparency, color, smooth finish and uniformdensity. The chemical analysis show the presenceof lime, alumina, silica, oxides of titanium andiron which are still used in modern industry. Useof various types of inks and dye have also beenreported

Professor PC Ray of Calcutta is acknowledged asthe father of Indian of Chemistry has spent his lifefor establishing Chemistry and chemical industryin India. Chemistry can be fully responsible forshaping the society by developing novel, stronger,smaller materials. The precious and ancient wisdom has enormous potential and can be used responsibly with modern science to protect andensure sustainability in future.

Image source :https://images.app.goo.gl/6R3qLPqcYw94qQSR6vedic tribe.com,istock.com ,Times of India.com

Ancient India : First and only producer of zinc

Use of Medicinal Chemistryin Ayurveda

Zinc retort distillation furnacesa conserved geological

marvel in Zawar, Udaipur.

29

plenty of Vit-C daily, the chances of getting infectedare greatly reduced. India has been known for medicinal plants sinceancient times. Many vegetables, fruits and grainsproduce and store Vit-C. We can take these vegetablesand fruits in our daily diet to increase our immunity.All types of viral infections attack our immune system.Therefore, our immune system must be strong to avoidany kind of infection. According to medical practice theadequate amount of Vit-C is 100-200 mg per day.However, the infected persons require higher doses (ingm) of Vit-C to compensate and saturate the plasmalevels. At present, the corona virus outbreak has takenan aggressive form. Which is causing millions ofdeaths, worldwide. Therefore, we can avoid theinfection of corona virus by strengthening our immunesystem. The decoction of Giloy, sahjan and curry leafprevents coronavirus infection. Some plants are knownfor their abundant amounts of Vit-C. Which are statedhere along with the amount of Vit-C (in mg). 100 gm,amla (600), A cup guavas (376), a cup red bell pepper(190), a cup yellow peppers (152), 100 gm broccoli(132), a small cauliflower (127.7), a normal size mango(122.3), a cup green bell pepper (120), a cup chilipeppers (107.8), a cup papaya (88.3), a cupStrawberries (84.7), 100 gm Pineapple (78.9), a 100 gmlemon (77), a medium size orange (69.7) and a kiwifruits (68.6) mg delivers Vit-C. There will be nodeficiency of Vit-C in our body if we include theseproducts in our food seasonally. By doing it, immunitywill remain strong and a strong immunity protects usfrom all viral infections. In this way we can also avoidthe COVID-19 infection forever.

Chemistry is a word to say, but it is riveted in the entireUniverse. Just as, God is present in every particle, in thesame way chemistry also pervades every tiny particle.There are several elements which exist in ourenvironment and have the ability to produce myriadcompounds. Plants present in nature also make myriadof chemical substances using the elements present inthe atmosphere. These chemical substances producedby plants are called phytochemicals. In the beginning,we did not know about many chemicals. We came toknow about these chemicals from plants only, whenthese chemicals were identified from different plants.Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient for humanbeings and found richly in nature. It has a veryimportant feature to prevent and treat all types of viralinfections. It has strong antioxidant potential and anessential cofactor for enzymes involved in generegulation. It strengthens the innate and adaptiveimmune system by supporting many cellular functions.It supports skin epithelial function by blockade ofpathogens invasion and promotes scavenging activity.The accumulation of Vit-C in phagocytic cells likeneutrophils with the enhancement of chemotaxis andphagocytosis as well as the generation of ROS(Reactive Oxygen Species) ultimately results tomicrobial killing. It is also required for the clearance ofconsumed neutrophils at the sites of infection bymacrophages, hence desired for apoptosis. In overall itdecreases the necrosis and damage of potential tissue. Itplayed significant role to enhance differentiation andproliferation of B-and T-cells, an important effect ofgene regulation. Vit-C deficiency reduces immunity andincreases the risk of becoming infected. Thus, by taking

B Y - D r . N A V N E E T K I S H O R E

Halons fire extinguishing agents have been phased

out given the Vienna convention (1985) and

Montreal protocol (1987) on protecting the ozone

layer. Aerosol generators containing aerosol-

forming pyrotechnic formulations (PyFs) are

presently considered an effective alternative to the

halon. Conventional PyFs employ flammable

synthetic resins as binders, associated with life-

threatening occupational hazards. Though these

synthetic organic resins have excellent adhesion

and mechanical properties, their high flammability

has limited their application to the non-explosive

platform. The combustion flame temperature of

PyFs in employing synthetic organic resins may

reach upto 2100 °C and render the metal surface

of those generators red hot. It may cause

secondary fire risk in an explosive atmosphere,

especially ship engine rooms and oil-pours and

can self-ignite at 330 °C. Moreover, their

manufacturing process requires volatile and

flammable solvents like isopropyl alcohol,

acetone, ethyl acetate, and ethyl alcohol.

Natural antioxidants like ascorbic and gallic acid

can be employed wherein on its thermal actuation,

these acids undergo a rapid redox reaction with

strong oxidants like a mixture of potassium

chlorate and potassium nitrate to produce hot

aerosol fire extinguishing agents.

During evaluation of their fire extinguishing

performance and thermal characteristics against

phenolic resin and potassium nitrate-based

conventional PyF, it showed better fire

extinguishing efficacy. Bsides this, It had 67 to

76 % less combustion flame temperature, faster

burn rate (13–16 mm/s), and lower calorific

value (5580-6880 J/g) than conventional PyF.

Thereby, they can simplify the complex structure

and reduce the high cost of the aerosol

generators by preventing the use of any physical

cooling systems, which are generally installed at

the front end of the aerosol generators to reduce

the temperature of discharged aerosol and hot

gases.

By- Dr. Rajni Johar

31

Tannic acid is a natural binder that wascomparatively investigated against above mentionedfour different types of conventional syntheticbinders. Binders generally have a significant role inthe pyrotechnic mixture. Binders in PyFs consolidatethe ingredients and provide a uniform solidificationthat inculcates excellent mechanical strength.Typically, binders increase the storage life andfeasibility of ignition by improving the homogeneityof the PyF.

The rise in health and environmental safetyconcerns in recent years has directed researcherstowards natural binder systems from renewableresources. Tannic acid is a hydrolyzablepolyphenolic tannin obtained from plants. It iswater-soluble and exhibits anticarcinogenic,antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Due to thepresence of a number of hydrogen bondinginteraction sites and aromatic rings, they induceionic and covalent interactions, providing improvedmechanical strength to the tannic acid-basedpyrotechnic composites.

Conventional synthetic binders phenol-formaldehyde resin, carboxymethyl cellulose sodiumsalt, ethylcellulose, and hydroxyethylcellulose arebeing used in aerosol forming pyrotechnicformulations for firefighting application tosignificantly influence the fire suppressionperformance, thermal and mechanical characteristicsof aerosol-forming pyrotechnic mixture.

32

Figure: Preparation of PyFs

Prafulla Chandra was a synthetic Inorganic chemist with activeinterest in organic molecules and reactions especially to thechemistry of thio-organic compounds. His initial work which madehim famous was based on the chemistry of inorganic and organicnitrites, he was regarded as “Master of Nitrites”. In 1894, P C Raybegan analysis of certain rare Indian minerals. in his quest todiscover some new element to fill the gaps in Mendeleev’sPeriodic table. He soon reported the first ever synthesis of thepreviously unknown compound of Mercurous Nitrite Hg2(NO2)2,which he narrates in his autobiography as "the discovery ofmercurous nitrite opened a new chapter in my life". Thiscompound of mercury was a fascinating example of two relativelyunstable ions combining to form a stable substance.He is known as the Father of Modern Chemistry in India, whoreached a high level of perfection in his times. The first Indian whostarted the integration process of highly advanced Ancient IndianChemistry with Modern sciences, a researcher who led Indianstowards modern Chemistry, founder of Indian Chemical Societyand a Startup entrepreneur. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray’s book,A History of Hindu Chemistry is a critically acclaimed treatise onRasashastra and Ayurveda. The first volume of the book waspublished in 1902, and the second in 1909. The book stronglyattracted the attention of western world towards Indian alchemyand lead to the globalization of the fundamentals of Rasashastra.

With an initial investment of Rs. 700, he setup India’s firstpharmaceutical company, Bengal Chemicals, now known as theBengal Chemicals and Pharmaceutical Works Ltd (BCPWL). Thecompany is now in prominence during the Covid-19 situation, as ithas been licensed by Government of India to produce the much-needed hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). In the year 2011, which wasalso the International Year of Chemistry, the Royal Society

.

Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray By- Dr. Pratibha Chaudhary

UK, honored his work with theChemical Landmark Plaque “Tocommemorate the life andachievements of Acharya P. C. Ray,father of Indian Chemistry,philanthropist and entrepreneur whofounded modern Chemistry teachingand research in India.” This was thefirst-ever Landmark Plaque awardedoutside Europe. The plaque wasinstalled on 31 January 2012 at hisalma matter, Presidency College,Kolkata.

33

PHOTO-CATALYTIC WATER SPLITTING FORTHE GENERATION OF HYDROGEN AND

OXYGEN: AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL

It is well known fact that the fossil fuels are nonrenewable and arebeing depleted at a fast pace. Moreover, combustion of these fossilfuels causes severe environmental pollution as well as globalwarming. There is international pressure through various agenciesand environment treaties on every country to reduce the carbonemission. Thus, huge research is going on for other alternate source ofenergy. Sun has abundant source of energy and this solar energycan be converted into other form of energy through advancetechnology. This solar energy can be used to generate Hydrogenand Oxygen Fuel from water.

Why Hydrogen and Oxygen can be used as Energy Source?

Hydrogen is the most promising future fuel having the idealenergy source due to its highest gravimetric energy density of anyknown fuel. The energy density of Hydrogen is much higher thanoxygen and Carbon. The major outcome by combustion ofhydrogen is water which can be used again. Hence, hydrogenenergy has attracted great attention as substitute energy to fossilfuels due to exhaustible and air polluting nature of the later one.Even though hydrogen is the most abundant element on earth, butit does not exist as free molecule like oxygen. Therefore, it has tobe produced from hydrogen-containing resources such as naturalgas, coal, biomass and water by reforming, gasification, thermaldecomposition, electrolysis or photolysis. Currently,approximately 96% hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels withthe substantial amount of greenhouse gases such as CO2, NOx,SOx, CO etc. as by-product which are primarily responsible forglobal warming.Therefore, the sustainable production of Hydrogenfuel on an economical scale is a big challenge. In this framework,energy induced through renewable source like photoinducedelectron transfer processes create an intense field of research.Elemental Hydrogen and Oxygen can be produced from water inthe presence of Sunlight and catalyst. This process is known asPhotocatalytic water.

By- Dr. Kiran Soni

Main limitation in photocatalyticwater-splitting is the inadequatecharge carrier diffusion length in thesemiconductors and successivereactions of the photo energized holesand the consequent high electron-holepair recombination rates. Duringheterogeneous photocatalysis,complete separation of the electron–hole pairs is quite challenging ascompared to their recombination.

What are the limitation inPhotocatalytic Splitting of Water?

It is a process that uses photogeneratedelectrons from a photocatalyst to beginthe light-driven splitting of water.Hydrogen and oxygen evolution occurin a stochiometric ratio of 2:1.

34

Therefore, considerable amount of research effort isrequired in the design of catalysts which can workefficiently under solar radiation. Careful choice ofmaterials is required so that its band gap is ~ 2eV. Itsatisfies the band potential requirements. Manytransition metals meet the Band gap requirement, butthey are not stable in the absence of sacrificialreagents. Though most of the transition metal oxidesare stable catalysts, the Valence Band andConduction Band energy requirements for oxygenand Hydrogen evolution, make it inefficient forvisible light photocatalytic reaction.

Photoelctrolysis use sunlight to decompose waterinto Hydrogen and Oxygen. It requiressemiconductor materials which we use inphotovoltaic devices. Photoelectrolysis occurs invarious steps: 1) Electron-hole pair photo generation.2) The hole decomposes the water at anode andHydrogen ions react with electrons at cathode for thegeneration of Hydrogen. 3) oxygen and Hydrogen areseparated through semipermeable membrane

Future Scope

All of us know that 70% of earth surface is made up ofwater and Water is made up of Hydrogen and oxygen.Thus, the abundant source of water can be used forproduction of pollution free, efficient and economicalHydrogen and Oxygen fuels as an potential alternativeto the fossil fuels.

Hence, there is a need to develop a library ofphotocatalysts to clarify different factors influencingtheir photocatalytic properties. For Example, the roleof different structures and shapes of thephotocatalysts on the photocatalytic activity.

The solar energy offers potentially enormouscapacity. Solar radiation of about 5,000 trillion kWhper year is incident over India’s land mass. Even10% effective utilization of solar energy can fulfillour energy requirement.

What is the mechanism of water splitting?

What is the need to Split water?

Figure: Mechanism of water splitting

35

FLOWINGINK

Chemist

Her scientific rigor resulted into a highly successfulmethod to alleviate leprosy symptoms, later called the“Ball Method,” that was used on thousands of infectedpeople for over thirty years until sulfone drugs wereintroduced. Death and Discovery Credit StolenTragically, Ball died on New Year’s Eve,1916, at theyoung age of 24 because of inhaling chlorine gas duringa lab teaching accident. Dr. Arthur Dean, continued herresearch without giving ball all the credit and evencalled her own discovery, the “Dean Method.” In 1922,six years after her death, Dr. Harry T. Hollmann tried tocorrect this injustice. He published a paper in 1922giving credit to Ball, calling the injectable variety of theoil the "Ball method". In 2000, the University ofHawaii-Manoa placed a bronze plaque before achaulmoogra on campus to honour Ball’s life and herimportant discovery. Former functionary (LieutenantGovernor of Hawaii), Mazie Hirono, also declared Feb29 as “Alice Ball Day.”

Alice Ball was an African American chemist bornon July 24, 1892 in Seattle, Washington. Shedeveloped the first successful treatment for peoplelaid low with Hansen’s disease (leprosy). She wasthe very first African American and also the primarywoman to graduate with a M.Sc. degree inchemistry from the University of Hawaii. Ball wasthe center child with two older brothers and ayounger sister. She belongs to upper middle-classfamily. She excelled at Seattle highschool,graduated in 1910, and went onto get multiplegraduate degrees from the University of Washingtonand Hawaii.Ball created the first injectable leprosy treatmentusing oil from the chaulmoogra, which was only amoderately successful topical agent employed inChinese and Indian medicine. She isolated the oilinto carboxylic acid components of variousmolecular weights allowing her to manipulate theoil into a water-soluble injectable type.

N O M A D I C | 2 4

Alice Augusta Ball

DIKSHABSc(H) CHEMISTRYII YEAR

(1892-1916)

"She developed The Ball Methodwhich was first truly effective

treatment for Leprosy"

Image source: https://scientificwomen.net/women/

36

WORK: X-ray crystallography technique is used todetermine the crystal's structure. The technique wasused to map large and complex molecules during the1930s. A number of X-ray diffraction images andextensive calculations helped Dorothy Hodgkin todetermine the structure of penicillin (in 1946) and themost complex structure of vitamin B12 (in 1956).(i)PENICILLIN (1945): Hodgkin confirmed thestructure of penicillin in 1945 and it was the first timein history that the structure of a whole molecule hadbeen calculated using X-ray data. She passed X-raywaves through different penicillin salt crystals (of Na,K and Rb), and recorded and compared each of theirdiffraction patterns on a photographic film.(ii)VITAMIN B12 (1955): By using X- raycrystallography, Hodgkin determined the structure ofvitamin B12, for which she won a Nobel Prize. In1955, Vitamin B12 was the most complex moleculetackled by X- ray crystallography and it had takeneight years for Hodgkin to solve this structure.(iii)INSULIN (1969): In 1935, Hodgkin had firstgrown the crystals of insulin, but it was only afterthirty-four years when she was finally able todetermine its 3-D structure.

LIFE: Dorothy Hodgkin was a British Chemist born inCairo, Egypt in 1910. She is known for determiningthe structures of Penicillin, Vitamin B12 and Insulin.She won Noble Prize in Chemistry in 1964 fordetermining the structures of biologically importantmolecules by X-ray techniques. Apart from being ascientist, she was also an activist for world peace. Shehad rheumatic arthritis and died in 1994 due to stroke. EDUCATION: Dorothy Hodgkin graduated in chemistry with a first-class honours degree from Somerville College,University of Oxford. She was the third woman at thisinstitution to achieve this distinction. Later, she beganstudying for a PhD at Newnham College, Universityof Cambridge. She carried out her research workunder the supervision of John Desmond Bernal, apioneer of modern molecular biology. It was duringher work when she cognized the potential of X-raycrystallography for the determination of structure ofproteins. In 1934, she returned to Oxford Universityafter receiving her PhD from Cambridge University.She remained there for the rest of her career,achieving a host of brilliant discoveries in the field ofmolecular biology.

N O M A D I C | 2 4RIYA NIMBEDKARBSc (H) CHEMISTRYII YEAR

Chemist

Dorothy CrowfootHodgkin

(1910-1994)

"She discovered the structuresof Penicillin and Vitamin B12"

Image source: https://scientificwomen.net/women/

37

Stephanie kwolek

Kevlar is an excel lent ant ibal l is t ic(bul le t - and knife-resis tant) mater ia l This is because large amount of energyis required to make a knife or a bul le tpass through i t . I t i s a s t rong plast icwhich is capable enough to s top bul le tsand knives. I t i s f ive t imes s t ronger thansteel on an equal weight basis . I t comesin two main var iet ies cal led Kevlar 29and Kevlar 49. I t has a great abi l i ty towithstand temperatures and decomposesonly at about 450°C (850°F).

N O M A D I C | 2 4

Stephanie Kwolek was an Americanchemist and was known for invent ingKevlar . She also did an incredibleinvent ion of s topping bul le ts with athread. Kwolek was awarded the DuPontcompany's Lavois ier Medal for herouts tanding technical achievement . Shewas the only female employee whoreceived that honor . In 1995 she becamethe fourth woman to be added to theNational Inventers Hal l of Fame. Kwolekwon numerous awards for her work inpolymer chemistry, including the Nat ionalMedal of Technology, the IRIAchievement Award and the Perkin Medal .In la ter l i fe used to do tutor ing and was anadvocate for encouraging young gir ls tostudy science.

SAKSHIBSc (H) CHEMISTRYII YEAR

(1923-2014)

Chemist

"She invented poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide,

which is better known as Kevlar"

Image source: https://scientificwomen.net/women/

38

How astonishing would it be if we get to knowMalaria can be removed from mosquito ordesigner babies can be created by geneticenhancement one can get the desired colour ofeyes, hair or being able to develop moreeffective new cancer treatments? All thesefascinating things have been made possible bytwo-woman scientists Emmanuelle Charpentierand Jennifer A. Doudna. It is for the first timein history that the only women team wereawarded Nobel Prize in 2020 in Chemistry, fortheir great achievement that has conferred thegreatest benefit to humankind. They receivedtheir Nobel prize for the development ofgenome editing method. The CRISPR-Cas9genetic scissors one of the sharpest tools ingene technology or we can say a tool forrewriting the code of life. This tool has notonly revolutionised the basic science, butinnovative crops can also be created which will

further lead to ground-breaking new medicaltreatments. This genetic scissor has contributedso much to the research field the things whichwere not possible earlier can be fulfilled now.The treatment for the genetically inheriteddiseases can also be seen now. WhenEmmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudnahad begun their study with immune system of aStreptococcus bacterium, their idea was todevelop new form of antibiotics which leadthem to the discovery of molecular tool thatcan be used to make precise incisions ingenetic material and has changed the lifesciences. Both these scientists have takenmankind onto a vast horizon of unimaginedpotential and, along which we will the makenew and unexpected discoveries. ImageSource: https://blogs.stjude.org/progress/nobel-laureate-and-crispr-cas9-genome-editing/

NOBEL LAUREATES 2020

REWRITING THE CODE OF LIFE

MUSKAAN B.Sc. (H) CHEMISTRYIII YEAR

39

Equipped with five senses man explores the universearound him and calls it science. Science andTechnology have made our lives way easier than wecould ever think. But at the same time, it has invadedour private life, running through our veins. RobertBilott, an environmental lawyer at Taft law firmdedicated his nearly 18 precious years litigating acompany named DuPont de Nemours which wasdumping harmful chemical waste near the outskirts ofWest Virginia. Du Pont is a well-known company forproducing Teflon, which is used widely in making non-stick cookware. The chemical waste generated in producing Teflon ismainly PFOA and PFOS. PFOA is one compound in afamily of compounds called PFAS (poly and per-fluorinated alkyl substances). Bilott represented WilburTennant, a resident of West Virginia whose lands wereused as landfills for Du Pont. In these landfills, Du Pontdumped tonnes of harmful chemical waste like PFOA,which in turn was polluting the Ohio River. About 100+cows on his farm died due to mysterious ailments bydrinking the polluted water. In 1999, Bilott came toknow about the situation and filed a lawsuit against thecompany. In response to that, a commission revertedthat his cows did not die due to drinking polluted waterbut because of lack of nutrition. Bilott forced thecompany to show the documents related to PFOA, forwhich they first refused but later on in 2001 agreed togive after court trials. To this, the company sent dozesof decade-old unorganized documents, which couldeven fill a room. Little did they know that the fileswhich they sent had all their dark secrets printed. Bilottspent a year rearranging those and collecting pieces ofevidence. Then came the real history of du Pont. Thecompany purchased the PFOA from 3M (a company).The 3M specified regulations on how to dump water butDuPont didn't follow those and started flusing PFOApowder into the Ohio River.

The scientist of the very own du Pont conducted secretresearches on animals like dogs and cats. They foundthat the chemical wastes which they were flushinghave many harmful effects on the body. In 1984 theirvery own study revealed that PFOA content is presentin the local water supply of Ohio. In 1991 theydetermined that the safe level of PFOA content in thewater should be around 1 part per billion, but it hasalready reached six times higher. The company knewthe harmful effects yet these studies were kept secretand continued dumping the waste for over a decade.2001, Bilott sent the letter to the director of everyrelevant regulatory authority and handed the case fileto EPA. In 2004 Du Pont agreed to settle the class-action suit and installed the filtration plants in a few ofthe worst affected areas. In 2005 Du Pont agreed to a16.9-million-dollar settlement. In 2010 Bilott's healthdegraded due to it, he suffered from strange attacks. InDecember 2011 after seven years of finding, scientistsproved that diseases like kidney cancer, thyroiddisease, testicular cancer in residents of West Virginiahave a direct link with PFOA. In 2013 an agreementwas signed by Du Pont ceasing the production ofPFOA. In 2016 it came out that PFOA is present inevery American blood. Now EPA has set the limit ofPFOA is 0.4 parts per billion. This journey of RobertBilott started in 1999 and is going on and it has no endbecause there are many companies like Du Pontknowingly or unknowingly who are dischargingpolluted chemical waste in rivers. It was through the 18years of finding and struggles of Robert Bilott, thatmade the company bound his knees and agreed to thefact that they were causing harm to people knowinglyfor sake of greed and capitalism. New York timesarticle based on it-

EXPOSING THEFOREVER CHEMICALS

ADITI GOVIND SINGHBSc (H) CHEMISTRYIII YEAR

https://nyti.ms/3uyE6X1

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Image source:https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/welcome-to-beautiful-parkersburg/

Robert Bilott

which became the WORST FEAR for DuPont

PFAS KNOWN AS"FOREVERCHEMICALS"

EXPOSING AND UNCOVERING THE DARK SECRET OF

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Remember cooking dosasomelette in a non-stick pan, quitehandy and easy to use, no use ofexcess oil and no sticking.Simply wow! do you know howthis is achieved in pans thatnothing sticks in it? it is becauseof Teflon-(a company name)which is polytetrafluoroethylenePTFE. It is used as a non-stickcoating in cookware and also inmany other materials to make itwaterproof. Even though if u sayyou’ve never used a Teflon-coated pan, there is still a chancethat you are carrying some ofTeflon’s breakdown particles inyour body in trace amountsbecause the substance has a widerange of uses outside the home.

When noting sticks to Teflonhow come it sticks to the pan.The reason is the fluorineenveloping its molecules. The trickto it is to use it in layers. Firstlythe pan is sandblasted to create lotsof little pits and scratches on thesurface of the pan. Then a primerliquid having low viscosity ispoured which goes into the cracks,which is then heated to cure it intoa solid layer. this primer liquid is amixture of C-H bond of normalpolymer on the other side whichsticks to the metal surface and C-Fbond of Teflon on one side which sleft pointed upwards. When theTeflon is poured into this it readilysticks to the primer because ofpointed C-F bonds. Further heatingis repeated which allows Teflon toform a bond with primer and makeit solid.

Using non-stick cookware issafe.Teflon itself is inert,meaning it’s not going to reactwith chemicals inside or outsideyour body. But heating Teflon-coated pans very hotly (if youplaced an empty non-stick panon high heat on the stove for along time), can cause temporarysymptoms like coughing, fever,or a sore throat. when we usethese teflon pans at very hightemperatures excessively thenthe Teflon coating gets worn outand may emit harmfulchemicals. So, if you havelingering concerns, Go back toold-fashioned cookware likestainless steel or cast ironcookware instead of non-stickpots and pans.

ADITI GOVIND SINGH BSc (H) CHEMISTRYIII YEAR

Image source: getty images

TEFLON

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Nanotechnology is a technique that deals withnano-size particles. The particles of this sizehave some unique physicochemical and surfaceproperties. This is a new evolving technologythat is giving good solutions to some of themajor problems which we are facing at theglobal level such as a supply of safe drinkingwater at a large scale. Water can be purified toa great extent using this technique. Waterpurification using this technique uses somenanoscopic materials such as carbon nanotubesand alumina fibers for nanofiltration. Thenanoscopic pores in the zeolite filtrationmembranes, the magnetic property of thenanoparticles and also nanocatalysts play avital role in water purification.

The nanosensors based on titanium oxidenanowires or palladium nanoparticles are usedfor the analytical detection of the contaminantsin the water samples. The toxic trace elementssuch as arsenic, viscous impurities like oil,turbidity, organic contaminants can also beremoved using carbon nanotube membranesand using this technique. The nanofibrousalumina filters and other nanofiber materialscan easily remove the negatively chargedcontaminants at a faster rate.Image source:https://pamelanorris.wordpress.com/research/https://www.cheaptubes.com/product/multi-walled-carbon-nanotubes-10-20nm/

WATER PURIFICATION USING

NANOTECHNOLOGY

SAKSHIBSc (H) CHEMISTRYII YEAR 43

These wastes are a threat to environment and thisproblem is faced by many developing countries.Now, the government provides facility of collectingwaste in every area and they too are facing theproblem of excess waste. Another problem is themixing of organic and inorganic kind of wastes. Today, the government is trying to implement doorto door collection of waste separately by providingtwo containers at the point of collection. Also,awareness campaigns are being conducted to makepeople realize the danger of using plastic productsand disposing waste thoughtlessly. Plastic bags arebanned in many states. Many non-governmentalorganisations are also helping the government inwaste management. The waste is taken to landfillsand before dumping the waste, it is segregated andnon-biodegradable waste is sent for recycling.Another method of disposal is incineration i.e.,thermal treatment of waste or burning. This methodis used for bio-medical waste. The recycling processof biodegradable waste with the help ofmicroorganisms is very popular. Effective ways arefirst and foremost, the amount of waste generatedmust be reduced by using eco-friendly material likepaper and cloth bags. Cooperate the municipalservices by following the rules honestly will be agood step.Waste management is must, otherwise we will beexposed to many diseases. There will be more air,water and land pollution and also death of animalsby swallowing plastic. Image source: clipartkey

The proper disposable of waste i.e. (collection,transportation, disposal and recycle) generated byhuman population is called Waste Management. Inolden days, question of waste management did notarise. There were many ways to dispose the garbage bydigging a pit or burning the dry waste because thewaste generated was biodegradable.Now, since the waste generated is of different types sothere is a great need to manage the waste we produce.Vegetable peels, paper, cloth etc. are the organic wasteand can be disposed of very easily. But inorganic waste such as plastic, cans or containers,electronic waste, industrial waste are non-biodegradable and cause difficulties in their disposal.The rapid increase in production of plastic products hasresulted in more quantity of plastic waste in everyplace and we have become the victims of our owninventions.

WASTEMANAGEMENT

AARADHANAB.Sc. (H) CHEMISTRYI YEAR 44

The protons and electrons symbolise the dualnature of our consciousness. We all havepositive and negative traits, feelings, andemotions. The good and the evil reside in all ofus. The world makes the atoms react,sometimes making them grim negative andsometimes making them sunny positive. Wedangle with the charges, and we often tend toforget the neutrons, the mystical as well asvery essential particle defining the absoluteexistence of atoms. A neutron with no chargeyet having the power to penetrate deep intomatter, symbolizing the existence ofnothingness, a zero experience and above all aseat of supreme consciousness in all of us.

The consciousness beyond the good and theevil, the consciousness that is there in all of usyet hardly realized. We look upon ourselves asagents of limited actions and receiving equalreactions and the receivers of happiness andpain. However, in the state of zero experiencewe know ourselves as our soul that is swayedand fashioned by the hands of the divinecharacterized by unlimited understanding,purity, love and peace. To be in supremeconsciousness is to know the endlessness ofour being in eternity. Image source:Shutterstock

AVNI RAWATBSc (H) CHEMISTRYI YEAR 45

B L O G G E R ' S C O R N E R

Recently, I came across an interesting research article published in Chemical & Engineering news (c&en), thatmentioned polyethylene as a sustainable futuristic fabric. There was an unusual sense of suffocation when I firstread it. Polyethylene bags!!! Of course, robust enough to carry plethora of materials used in our day today life.However, I haven’t ever imagined polyethylene as a potential alternative to cotton, silk, wool etc. Well! Polyethylene based Haute Couture is possible as the fashionista models are proficient enough to carryweirdest of the clothes. But, I find it extremely difficult to imagine futuristic Indian brides flaunting heavilyembellished Polyethylene Sabyasachi Lehenga.....Isn’t it crazy!!!! And what about the effect of heat on these polyethylene based fabrics? Will it carry a caution “not to be worn inclose proximity of fire!!” Ok...enough of these presumptions. I have immense faith on the research fraternity. If they have anticipatedpolyethylene as a futuristic fabric, they must have a firm experimental background to justify this. Let’s explore thescientific aspect. A research team at Stanford University proposed that the designed polyethylene fabric (nanostructuredpolyethylene layers with cotton mesh interwoven between them) will keep a person twice as cool as theconventional fabric. They explained that our body cools in two ways; through i) perspiration (the regular fabriccools body by allowing the sweat to escape) and through ii) infrared (IR) radiation (a benign wave of light emittedby almost all bodies). The conventional fabric traps the IR emission, whereas, the polyethylene layer allows IRwaves to escape (IR transparent) resulting into 4 degree Fahrenheit less temperature than the cotton clothing. So, ina nutshell, the designing of fabrics with thermal radiation characteristics is highlighted by the research team. Inaddition to this, the water repellent nature, self cleaning property and easy recyclability have made polyethylene asa sustainable material of Future...What is your say on this???

Polyethylene: From Grocery Bags to Sustainable Futuristic Fabric. . . . . SERIOUSLY??

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EXPRESSCONNECT

INSPIRE

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RESEARCHINTERNSHIP

OPPORTUNITIES

Indian Academy of Sc ience ( IAS) , SummerResearch Program Fe l lowship

h t tp : / /un iv . t i f r . r e s . in /gs2021 /vs rp /vs rp .h tm

ht tps : / /www. ias . ac . in /

h t tp : / / c sec .du .ac . in / t r a in ing .h tml

h t tps : / / spa rk . i i t r . ac . in /

h t tp : / / i r . du .ac . in / s tuden t s /Univers i ty o f De lh i (DU)

h t tp : / /www.cense . i i s c . ac . in / con ten t / summerprogram

Tata Ins t i tu te o f Fundamenta l Research (TIFR)

http:/ /surge.i i tk.ac.in/Indian Ins t i tu te o f Technology ( I IT)

Indian Ins t i tu te o f Sc ience ( I ISC)

Indian Space Research Organisa t ion ( ISRO)

Indian Ins t i tu te o f Sc ience Educat ion and Research

h t tps : / /www. i i se rpune .ac . in /~sspc /h t tps : / /www. i i se rko l . ac . in /~summer . r e sea rch /

https:/ /www.isro.gov.in/research-and-academia-interface/internships-projects-training

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Online Resources for UndergraduateEducation & Research

Nat iona l Programme on TechnologyEnhanced Learning

https://nptel.ac.in/course.html

Study Webs o f Act ive -Learningfor Young Aspir ing Minds

https://swayam.gov.in/explorer

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/students/college/research.html

American Chemica l Soc ie ty

https://nsdl.oercommons.org/

The Nat iona l Sc ience Dig i ta lLibrary

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I literally hate when people reply me with ‘ K' Seriously I am in no mood to talk about potassium

Once a neutron went to a bar andasked the barman “ how much for adrink?” The barman said respectfully,for you ‘no charge’ sir.

Every chemist deserves a prospect. therefore place down that beaker andremove your safety glasses, and have some chemistry jokes and riddles.

Do you want to listen to a jokeregarding sodium, Bromine andOxygen Na BrO

You say you don’t know aboutlithium and argon . Li Ar !

Do you know why chemists cansolve any problem?They have all kinds of solutions.

Why do chemists find working with ammonia easy? Because it’s pretty basic stuff

Image source: www.funnycaptions.com

Image source: www.pinterest.com

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If there was no space betweenatoms, the entire populationcould fit into an apple.

There is a myth that Diamondscome from coal. But the truth isthat they are carbon that iscompressed and heated 90 milesbelow the surface of the earth.Coal is found about 2 milesdown.

Aliter of sea water contains 35grams of salt more than half ofwhich in NaCl. The rest ismainly calcium and magnesiumchlorides and sulphates, whichultimately give sea water a bittertaste.

Every hydrogen atom in yourbody is likely 13.5 billion yearsold because they were created atthe birth of the universe.

A human body has about 7octillion atoms and 98% of themare replaced every year.

The smell of lemons, oranges andpine is determined by the samesubstance- Limonene. The “citrus”and “pine” versions of limoneneconsist of identical atoms,combined with one another in anidentical order. That is why theysmell different to us.

Image source: https://m.facebook.com/scienceisall/

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Elements have been named af te r the i rp laces of d i scovery . These p lacesinc lude the names of the cont inen ts ,count r ies o r even v i l l ages . Thee lement ga l l ium was named af te r ap lace now known as :

i s :

1 .

i . GERMANY i i . FRANCE i i i . GREECE iv . GREAT BRITAIN

2 . Which e lement has the mos t number o f s tab le i so tope i . TIN i i . XENON i i i . MERCURY iv . BARIUM

3 . Four e lements cont r ibu te towards more than 96% of the human body we ight . Three of them are carbon , hydrogen and oxygen . The four th one

i . CALCIUM i i . NITROGENii i . PHOSPHORUS iv . SULPHUR

4. Only one e lement in the per iod ic t ab le was ne i ther d i scovered nor was syn thes i sed bu t was iden t i f ied in a d i f fe ren t way . This i s : i . SODIUM i i . HELIUMii i . ZIRCONIUM iv . CADIUM

5.Which one i s the f i r s t a r t i f i c ia l ly c rea ted e lement ? i . CURIUM i i . AMERICIUMii i . NETUNIUMiv. SULPHUR

6. Iden t i fy the sc ien t i s t whose name i s assoc ia ted wi th the d i scovery of the noble gas . i . WILLIAM RAMSAY i i . ROBERT BOYLEi i i . MARIE CURIE iv . FRITZ HABE

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CROSSWORD

ACROSS DOWN

ANSWERS

4. Nobel Prize in both physics and chemistry

5. first element of 4n+2 series

7. element showing scarlet flame colour

10. element having lowest melting point

11. element that causes minamata disease

12. alloy of Cu,Zn,Su

1. highest ionization potential

2. lanthanide that doesn’t occur in nature

3. halogen that doesn’t form Oxyacid

6. discovered electromagnetic induction

8. first synthetic element

9. element showing maximumcatenation

DOWN1.Helium 2.Promethium 3.Fluorine 6.Michael Faraday 8.Technetium 9.Sulphur

ACROSS4.Marie Curie 5.Uranium 7.Strontium 10.Radium 11.Mercury 12.Gun metal

Ms. Sonal RihaniModel,

Femina Miss India East 2014

Our Esteemed AlumniMost of our students go in for higher education and research. Our alumni have establishedthemselves in almost every field of their lives may be teaching at various colleges and research ateminent institutes. They are serving their nation and world at prestigious positions. Few are listedas below :

Dr. Ipsita Roy Associate professor,

NIPER, Mohali, Punjab

Dr. Bimlesh Lochab Associate Professor ,

Shiv NadarUniversity

Ms. Jyoti Challi President and CEO Banyan Foundation Inc., California, US.

Dr. Sarita Tehran Assistant Professor, Motilal Nehru College University of Delhi

Dr. Ashu Gupta Assistant Professor ,

Shyamlal College University of Delhi

Dr. Jency Thomas Assistant Professor,

Thichussar UniversityKerela

Ms. Nidhi YadavFlying Officer, Indian Air Force

Ms. Suparna ChagantiSenior Director, Health Plan Client Services , UnitedHealth Group

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I was in the batch 1994-1997, BSc(Hons) Chemistry,and it’s a pleasure to be part and pursuing my UGstudies in the Department of Chemistry, MaitreyiCollege. I have taken a transfer from SriVenkateshwara College, South Delhi campus toMaitreyi college as I was really fascinated foremost bythe teachers, followed labs and last but not leastgreenery in the college. The environment is verysustainable, friendly to nourished my aims. I am happythat I have met Prof Rizvi, Prof. Shanti Kesvan, ProfAmritha Anand and Prof Sulekha Dogra who taught us.They were very passionate in their work. Rizvi mamalways inspired us about study and ever ready to help.With her help and others too, I got so many books fromthe Department library which were difficult to procureduring that time. I was awarded Radha Sai Ram awardwith which I bought more books. That era wasbeautiful. Needless to say all the teachers within thedepartment helped me in numerous ways, which isdifficult to describe in words. I remember theencouragement, assistance extended by the all theteachers without any boundaries.There were so manybeautiful moments I still cherish, organising the firstchemistry festival Chemsophy in 1995. It really bondedus and knitted the memories together further. I amfeeling young again and nostalgic and immersed in thattime. With the senior teachers as guiding role models,young teachers Dr. Pinkey , Dr Sandhya, Dr Padma, DrGita, Dr Manju, Dr.Haritma, Dr. Lata and Dr. Rameshmam, I am loosing the memories here to recall theirname, but I still remember how fascinated I waslearning through them.

So many years by passed, I am still in contact with them,love to be a part of any event, and happy to relive thatmoment again and again. Teachers are Guru, and I love allmy Gurus, What I am today is because of them.I hope teacher-student relationship is unique and it is ofsimilar level as a mother and daughter. Maitreyi Chemistrydepartment is like a family to me, and it will always be.You may all will be feeling the same, share your aims withteachers, trust me! they will stand beside you, in whichevercapacity.

Best wishesBimlesh Lochab Associate Professor (M. Tech. IITD, D. Phil. University ofOxford)UG AdvisorDepartment of Chemistry, Research Block,School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar UniversityTehsil Dadri, UP 201314, India

D r . B i m l e s hL o c h a b

M e s s a g e F r o m O u rP r o u d A l u m n i

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Perpetual Moulding of an EducatorAcademia promises excitement and new learningavenues to those who are willing to explore andcontribute to this field as a career option. More likeevery experience, teaching and contributing to moldan individual’s logical thinking can be bittersweet.My case wasn’t different either. The core essence ofchemistry teaching lies in a smooth transition fromconcept building to its application. It is this application phase that requires the moldingof a person having knowledge into an efficienteducator who can shape a learner’s thoughtprocesses and give them a positive direction. Whiletransitioning into an educator, I found myself atconverting many already known facts into teachableinformation. Learning new and innovative ways toconvey one’s set of knowledge skills really is andmust be a continuous process for every educator. Amidst the chaos of one’s own life, I found peaceand tranquillity in every classroom I went in, to be apart of a young and dynamic crowd wanting to learnsomething new that day, that hour. The challengesfaced by an educator every day are not only toeducate curious minds satisfactorily but also todevelop knowledge and understanding of scientificideas, as well as an understanding of how scientistsstudy the natural world. The latter contributedimmensely in making my wayward energiesmonochromatic too.

Understanding the Curious Minds Every Passing Year The classroom at each level of learning is filled withlearners presenting a different way to absorbknowledge and having their own levels of curiosity.Each learner shapes the educator with their ownspecial personality. It is our good fortune as educatorsand teachers to meet the most diverse talent and mindsall at one place.I got this good fortune with addedglitter when I got a chance to teach at my alma mater,Maitreyi College, University of Delhi. As I entered those hallowed pathways leading upto myclassroom and the chemistry laboratory, where I spentthree golden years of my life, I undeniably had goosebumps. I felt a special bond with every single learner. Ialso felt the need and responsibility to give every extrabit of effort that the college and its distinguishedfaculty had also given me during my formative years.

D r . S w a r n d e e pK a u r S e t h i

M Y M U S I N G S A S AC H E M I S T R Y E D U C A T O R

"The function of education is to teach one to thinkintensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus

character – that is the goal of true education. -Martin Luther King Jr."

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Chemistry is an ever-evolving domain of science. Thus, theidea of concept building and its application in the laboratoryis a sureshot method of success. Thus, student-centricmethods to develop knowledge and understanding ofscientific ideas is the need of the hour.I have long felt that when students get a sense of dignifiedfreedom and trust from their teachers they shine brightly intheir fields of interest. A dedicated expression of passionand zeal shown by teachers and students alike make a greatcollaborative winning combination for both.

"Education is not filling of a bucket, but the lighting of afire.

-W. B. Yeats"

‘Guru-Shishya’ – A Lifelong Bond of Knowledge SharingThe gain of knowledge bestows wisdom along withnumerous good virtues in a learner. Innovative learningmethods, multilevel assessments ensure a deep rooted gainof expertise of a subject. This approach has long been a partof our culture and makes an individual learner a great assetto the society. Great alma maters instil a deep-rootedconnection with their students and inspire them to grow intosuccessful individuals.The COVID-19 pandemic brought the ‘new normal’ into ourteaching methodology. Tremendous efforts put in byteachers and students alike proved yet again that the ‘Guru-Shishya’ is an ever evolving relation which curates its ownpath with the need of time. "Technology will not replace great teachers but technology

in the hands of great teachers can be transformational.-George Couros"

Alumni guest at Chemsophy 2017

Maitreyi College – my alma mater taught me how to win with elan

A gift of selected books for threeconsecutive years

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From an Artist's Vision

RaainaBSc (H) Chemistry

I Year

Urvashi JoonBSc Chem honsI Year

Students' Artwork

Raaina BSc (H) Chemistry

I Year

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"The greatestscientistsare artists as well"

-AlbertEinsteinAditi Govind

SinghIII year

Keti SinghBSc (H) Chemistry

I YEAR

Reeva BSc (H) ChemistryI Year

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Charu GuptaBSc (H) ChemistryIII Year

LeeshaBSc (H) ChemistryII Year

RaainaBSc (H) ChemistryI Year

PrachiBSc (H) ChemistryI Year

RaainaBSc (H) Chemistry

I Year

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Charu GuptaBSc (H) ChemistryIII Year

Sakshi RaijanBSc (H) Chemistry

II Year

Aditi Govind SinghBSc (H) Chemistry

III Year

LeeshaBSc (H) ChemistryII Year

Uravshi HoonBSc (H) Chemistry

I Year

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RADHA SAIRAM CHEMICAL SOCIETY

Presents

THE CHEMISTRY E-BULLETIN 2021