MY RESEARCH INTERESTS

 

 

As I am in a predominantly teaching department rather than in a research department, the time we all could concentrate on research is very much limited and the infra structure, in a developing state. Within these limitations, we are trying to spend time for research and are getting some marvelous results.

 

 

 

My research interests are in generally following areas.

• Theoretical organic chemistry
• Experimental organic chemistry
• Environmental chemistry

 

THEORETICAL CHEMISTRY:

 

• Presently as a part of my PhD project, under the supervision of Dr Pius, I am involved in a problem regarding the competition between D3h and D3d conformation involving rotation around a carbon carbon single bond. I am using MOT, VBT and other associated techniques like NBO, AIM, and DFT etc to study the problem.
  The main aim of the problem is to study the factors affecting the energetics of rotational barrier about single bonds.

 

• Some of my students are involved in abinitio theoretical calculations of the derivatives of tetroxanes, tetroxanealkylcarboxylic acids, alcohols etc. We calculated the conformational energy of these pharmacologically important compounds and try to predict which conformer is more stable among diaxial, diequitorial and equatorial-axial etc. Pictures of some of the compounds are represented here. Latter, we are looking for the chemoinformatic study for a better application of the system.

 

• Also, presently, some of my students are involved in the theoretical modeling of important hormones like ergosterone, cholesterol, progesterone etc. I am theoretically studying the changes in the properties of these biomolecules by substitution of other groups, change in the position of functional groups etc. It is called Quantitative Structural Activity Relationship (QSAR). Theoretical QSAR analysis will enable a scientist to get an idea of the properties of a system with out doing much laboratory efforts. It will save much money, time and effort of a scientist who otherwise have to work with the molecule in his/her work bench by wasting a lot of chemicals and waiting for a lot of instrumentation works to be done over it. This is very much important in combinatorial chemistry, drug design and pharmacological studies.

 

• In chemo informatics, I am involved along with Prof Castro in mathematical modeling of the various experimental parameters by QSAR method.

 

SYNTHETIC CHEMISTRY:

 

THESE PROJECTS ARE YET TO BE STARTED !!!!!

 

• As a part of my synthetic organic chemistry DREAM projects, I like to modify the surface of complex biomaterials like chitin using chemical modification techniques like coupling, functional group modification so as to make the biomaterial to act as body friendly drug delivery systems. It is only in an initial state. If worked out, the modified material could be used to deliver highly specific drugs like insulin.

 

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ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY:

 

• My principal aim in environmental chemistry is in green chemistry. We are working with the anti corrosion activity of some plant extracts. Some of the plants, which don’t have much economical value, are having industrial applications as a protector again corrosion. I am trying to identify those plants so that one-day they could be incorporated along with other corrosion resistance methods. They are highly ecofriendly.

 

• Also, some of our students are involved in assessing the water quality parameters of the River Meenachil and Lake Vembanad. They are studying the pollution impact on these waterbodies and how it influences the society.

 

 

 

Please expect constant updates in this page: Last modified August 2005