Chemistry – Research

RESEARCH GUIDES

  • Prof. Dr. Saritha Chandran A – Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam (Full-time)
  • Dr. Elizabeth Kuruvilla – Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam (Full-time)
  • Dr. Shanty A. A. – Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam (Full-time)
  • Prof. Ushamani M. (Retd.) – Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam (Full-time)

MAJOR PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN

  • Dr. Nisha T P (Co-Investigator) – SPARC Phase 3 Grant under MoE, Govt. of India – INR 73.2 lakhs, for developing TENG-integrated systems for electrocatalytic hydrogen production – April 2024 to September 2026 – Ongoing

  • Dr. Jaya T Varkey (Co-Investigator) – Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Govt. of Kerala, INR 25.3 lakhs, for developing Bioderived Antibacterial Polymeric Nanofiber for Water Decontamination, November 2024 to October 2027 – Ongoing
  • Dr. Nisha T P – MARG Seed Funding (Teresian Management) INR 1 Lakh – Development of MOF/MXene catalysts for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
  • Dr. Elizabeth Kuruvilla and Dr. Jaya T. Varkey (Retd. Prof.)- DST CURIE Scheme for Women’s PG Colleges – INR 1.5 crores – 2024-2027 – Ongoing
  • Dr. Shanty A A – MARG Seed Funding (Teresian Management) INR 1 Lakh – Development of Imine-based sensor for metal ions and biomolecule 2021-23 – Completed
  • Dr. Ushamani M (Chemistry) and Dr. Kala M S (Physics) INR 85,000/- – Investigation on the electrical and optical properties of pin coated polymer nano composite thin films 2012-14 UGC – Completed
  • Dr. Ushamani M – INR 80,000 “Reusable Polymer blend for Holographic Application” 2007-2009 – UGC – Completed
  • Dr. Jaya T Varkey – INR 3 Lakhs “Catalytic activity studies of metal nanoparticles supported as functional organic polymer” 2016-18 – UGC Research Award – Completed

RECENT PUBLICATIONS – INTERNATIONAL

  • Lakshmi Srinivasan, Nisha T. Padmanabhan, Honey John, Manoj Narayanapillai, Pramod Gopinath, “Facet selective engineered TiO2 as photoanode for dye sensitized solar cells, Materials Today Communications 5, 114702, 2026.
  • Animasree V P, Nisha T. Padmanabhan, Manoj Narayanapillai, Honey John, “Exploring the catalytic potential of crystalline β-Ta2O5: From water purification to hydrogen production”, Next Research 6, 101383, 2026.
  • Shanty A. A., Anjali K G, Dhanya T M, Zafna Rasheed, “Biologically Active Organic Antioxidants: Synthesis, Analysis, and Mechanistic Insights via DFT Calculations, Crystallographic Analysis, and Molecular Docking Techniques”, Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry 62 (11), pg 1629-1641, 2025.
  • Nisha T. Padmanabhan, K Gayathri, Rink Mariam Thomas, Honey John, “ZnO/Mo2TiC2 MXene nanohybrids for enhanced solar-driven photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline and organic pollutants in contaminated water”, Energy & Environmental Sustainability 100042, 2025.
  • Zafna Rasheed, Shanty Antony Angamaly, Anuja Elevathoor Vikraman, Soumya Thekkedath CyriacFluorescence Turn-off Sensor for Selective Determination of Nimesulide Based on Protein Functionalized Gold Nanoclusters, Journal of Engineering and Technology Management 2025.
  • Nisha T. Padmanabhan, Laura Clarizia, Priyanka Ganguly, “Advancing hydrogen storage: critical insights to potentials, challenges, and pathways to sustainability”, Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering 48, pg. 101135, 2025.
  • Sicily Rilu Joseph, Sharon Danti, Lima Sebastian, Nisha V S, Saritha Chandran A., Ushamani M, “Sustainable Innovations: chitosan-cellulose nanocrystal composites for enhanced mechanical, antibacterial, and photocatalytic applications”, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 15(7):10855-10871, 2024.
  • Anju Linda Varghese, P.L. Maria Linsha, George Mathai, “Exploring the Third-Order Non-linear Optical Responses and Optical Limiting Properties of p-Nitroaniline Picrate: A Theoretical and Experimental Study”, Asian Journal of Chemistry 36 (9) 2024.
  • Sicily Rilu Joseph, Jith C Janardhanan, Sithara Radhakrishnan, Honey John, Ushamani Mythili “Cellulose as Source and Matrix for Fluorescent Chemo-sensors” Journal of Fluorescence 2025. doi:10.1007/s10895-025-04200-6
  • Amrutha Thomas, Nisha T. Padmanabhan, E.J. Jelmy, Pramod Gopinath, Honey John, “Multifunctional Carbonaceous Materials Derived from Tea Waste: Towards Sustainable Solutions for Wastewater Treatment and Hydrogen Evolution” Cleaner Waste systems 10 (2025) 100233.
  • Saritha Chandran A., Synergistic Advancements: PANI-Coated Short Nylon Fibers for Enhanced Mechanical and Dielectric Properties in Natural Rubber Conducting Polymer Composites, Oriental Journal of Chemistry 40 (6) : 1659-1669, 2024.
  • Krishnaraj M. V., Nishitha I K, Saritha Chandran A., Lectotypification of Crotalaria lanceolata (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) and an addition to the Legume Flora of Kerala State, Indian Forester 150 (12) : 1257‐1259, 2024.
  • Nisha T. Padmanabhan, Christeena Sabin, Unni Krishnan H, Hrithik M, Ushamani Mythili, M K Jayaraj, Honey John, “Analysing the Efficacy of TiO2/g-C3N4 Nanohybrid Electrospun Membranes for Visible-light Photocatalytic Water Purification” Chemical Physics Letters 854 (2024) 141547.
  • Sithara Radhakrishnan, Nisha T. Padmanabhan, Ann Jini Mathews, Youhong Tang, T. Santhanakrishnan, Honey John, “Surfactant-Assisted Restructuring of Boron to Borophene: Implications for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution” ACS Applied Nanomaterials 2024, 7, 11, 12564–12578.
  • Sicily R. Joseph, Jith C. Janardhanan, Nisha T. Padmanabhan, Honey John, Ushamani Mythili, “Controlled reaction dynamics of cellulose: Revealing the dual morphology nanocrystals” Materials Today Sustainability 27 (2024) 100860.
  • Anuja Linda Varghese, P L Maria Linsha, George Mathai, “Third order optical nonlinearities and optical limiting in 1-Napthol picrate: A Z-scan approach” Indian Journal of Natural Sciences 86 (2024) 0976-97.
  • Jith C Janardhanan, Nisha T. Padmanabhan, PJ Jandas, Meera Sathyan, Rinku M Thomas, Ushamani Mythili, Honey John, “Topology structure significance on the applications of morphologically diverse molybdenum disulfide” Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering Vol 12, Issue 2, April 2024, 112268.
  • Anuja Linda Varghese, P L Maria Linsha, George Mathai, “Exploring the Third-Order Non-linear Optical Responses and Optical Limiting Properties of p-Nitroaniline Picrate: A Theoretical and Experimental Study” Asian Journal of Chemistry 36 (2024) 2013-18.
  • A. Ancy, Mary Lazar, A. Saritha Chandran, M. Ushamani, “Development of ecofriendly and sustainable bioplastics from cassava starch: Tailoring the properties using nanoparticles”, Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy 37 (2024) 101377.

  • Jelmy E.J., Rinku Thomas, Ushamani Mythili, Honey John, “Selective adsorption of anionic dyes and carbon dioxide using uncarbonized PVA aerogels incorporated with GO/PANI hybrids”, Adsorption 30 (2024) 1273-1290.

  • Saritha Chandra A., Dielectric and Conductive characteristics of Polyaniline coated Short Nylon Fiber Chloroprene Rubber composites: A Comprehensive study on Frequency, Temperature and Loading Dependencies”, Asian Journal of Chemistry 36 (2024) 418-424.
  • Jith C Janardhanan, Nisha T. Padmanabhan, P J Jandas, Nabendu V Nayar, Manoj Narayanapillai, Suresh C Pillai, Honey John, “Directed Morphology Engineering of 2D MoS2 Nanosheets to 1D Nanoscrolls with Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution and Specific Capacitance”, Journal of Colloids and Interfaces Vol 652, Part A, Dec 2023, 240-249.
  • Sicily Rilu Joseph, Lima Sebastian, Ushamani Mythili, “Transforming crustacean waste into a powerful antibacterial nanocomposite: unveiling the synergistic potential of novel copper doped zinc oxide- carbon dot nanocomposite”, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 2023.

  • Saritha Chandran A

    ., “PANI/Short Nyon Fiber/Natural Rubber conducting Composites: Dielectric Properties”,

    Asian Journal of Chemistry

    35 (2023) 2131-2142.

  • T. M. Dhanya, Aravind Krishnan, G. Anjali Krishna, Shijo Francis, P. V. Aswathy, Maria Augustine, A. A. Shanty, D. P. Savitha, P.V. Mohanan, “ A novel benzothiophene incorporated Schiff base acting as ‘turn-on’ sensor for the selective detection of Serine in organic medium’, Bioorganic Chemistry 136 (2023) 106525.
  • Jaismon Francis, Nikhil Puthiya Purayil, P. L. Maria Linsha, Chandrasekharan Keloth, C. S, Suchand Sangeeth, “Tailoring the optical limiting response of methyl orange via protonation”, Optical Materials 146 (2023) 114571.
  • Krishnaraj M. V., Saritha Chandran A., “ Notes on the lectotypification of Crotalaria nana Burum.f. (Leguminosae: Papilionoidea” Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography 78 (2), 2023.
  • Saritha Chandran A., Ushamani M., Krishnaraj M. V., “On the Mechanical, Thermal and Biodegradation of Jackfruit Seed Starch Bioplastic”, IJARSCT 3 (2023).

Chemistry