The Chemistry Department was started in 1884 with Mr. H.N. Read as the first professor, who retired as Principal of the college in 1892. Dr. A.W. Bishop, a great

football enthusiast, succeeded  him  upto 1912.  He was  responsible for the collection of scientific journals dating back to the 1890s and also for the collection of rare

minerals which are now with the Department of Geology.  Mr. C.S. Gibson was the next Professor. He was followed by Mr. Krishnaswamy Iyer, the first Indian to chair

the Department. Dr. K.N. Modugill, the next Professor  (from 1921),  was the youngest  to man the Department. He had his M.A. from Cambridge during the 1st World

War and had done part of his PhD work there. He completed his  PhD  work here  and received his doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 1924. He along with Mr.

K.R. Krishna Iyer  and     Mr. Sitarama  Iyer formed  a  'trio'  engaged in  active  research  in  the  department.  Mr. K.R. Krishna Iyers work on the equivalent weight of

Zirconium present in the Travancore beach sand mineral zircon took him very near discovering hafnium, the element which accompanies Zirconium, but missed it.

    Dr. Modugill became Principal in 1938, the same year in which the Travancore University was formed. (Prior to which the Department was affiliated to the University

of Madras).  He was  also  the first  Director of  Research  of the University and also the Pro-Chancellor of the University.  As an organizer of research he could help in

developing a Complex of Chemical Industries in the State.  Mr.  K.R.  Krishna Iyer  succeeded  Dr. Modugill as Professor and in 1943  the Post Graduate Course was

started with four students. Teaching of Chemistry for the Engineering Course and the Textile Technology Course  was entrusted with the Department during his period.

In 1948, Dr. A.N. Potti became the next Professor and was the first old student of the Department to chair the department.   He was the first to take PhD by doing the

entire work in these laboratories. Honours course - a three year course after the intermediate - was started in 1951, which was   abolished in 1957 when the new three

year degree course was started. During the tenure of Dr. Potti, the Department got fully equipped for P.G. Teaching.

       Dr. Potti retired as Principal in 1957 and was succeeded by Dr. N.S. Warrier. As Officer-in-Charge of the food testing scheme ordered by the Government in 1958,

he successfully  tackled  the contamination of enormous quantities of food-stuffs by the deadly poison, Folidol; the successful analytical work done in the Department.

There  was  a  cross  fertilization  of   scientific ideas between the Department and other Scientific institution during that period. As an instance, one may recollect the

experiments  done in  the Research lab of the Department  by  the  chemists of  TERLS in the early 1960s (before the Lab of Thumba was constructed), with a view to

develop polymeric materials as fuels.

       When B. Pharm course was started, the instruction in chemistry, both theory and practical was assigned to the Department on a part time basis, until the course

was entirely  confined within the campus of the Medical College. Dr. N.S. Warrier became the Principal in 1964. During 1966, when Dr. N.S. Warrier was the Principal,

the  centenary  o f the  college  was  celebrated  in  an  unparalleled  gala  function  both at  Trivandrum and New Delhi. His Excellency Dr. S. Radhakrishnan the then

President of India inaugurated the function at the College campus.

        Prof. R. Ramachandra Iyer, Prof. C. Surendranath, Prof. P. Goplaramam, Prof. N.N. Panicker, Prof. Elizabeth Koshy, Prof. V. Chakrapani Achary became HODs

in succession and the list continues...

   When the college came under the Government by the Kerala University Act (1957), the status of the Department as part of the University and accompanying funding

by the University ceased to exist and the Department started feeling the shortage of facilities.

  

      The department celebrated its centenary in 1986.  Prof. V. Chakrapani Achary was the Head of the Department at that time and Prof. A. Nabeesa Ummal was the

Principal of the  college. His Excellency the Governor of Kerala, Sri. P. Ramachandran inaugurated the function. Seminars and Demonstration Classes were highlights

of this function.

    The M Phil course in Chemistry was started in 1994 with an intake of 5 students.

   The existing faculty consists of fifteen teachers. Among them, 7 hold PhD degrees and 7 are engaged in Part time research. The department also has the service of

three non-teaching staff.

        The department has a well equipped Library with over 5,000 books. The department also has a rare collection of chemical abstracts and scientific journals. There

are five labs, B Sc. Main lab, B Sc. Sub lab, M Sc Inorganic - Organic lab, M Sc Physical lab and the Research lab.

         There are 14 students each for I and II M Sc, 50 each for I, II and III DC main, 105 students each for I DC and II DC subsidiary and 30 students each for I DC and

II DC Biochemistry subsidiary.

          The department has produced and continues to produce eminent persons, occupying envious positions in every walk of life. Former Governer Sri. Pattom Thanu

Pillai,       former  Chief     Ministers    Sri. C. Kesavan and    Sri. R. Sankar were students of this Department. Several former students occupy reputed positions in the

Universities, IITs, BARC, VSSC, CSIR, Industries and Administrative services.  

The Department is currently UGC-FIST supported. The department has purchased a number of Scientific Instruments in recent years to facilitate the ongoing research

activities.

          The department conducts B Sc, M Sc and M Phil courses. The Department is also a recognized Research Centre under the University of Kerala for doing PhD

( Full time and Part time ). The intake for  B Sc Chemistry Course is  50 students and that for  M Sc Chemistry Course is 14.  The sanctioned strength for the M Phil

course is 5 per year. 

        The Department conducts a quiz competition every year for college students in fond memory of Dr. N. S. Warrier, who was a stalwart of this department.

A good number of scholarships are also presented to students each year.

        University College Chemistry Department Welfare Committee: University College Chemistry Department Welfare Committee is an organization of well-wishers of

the  Department  including old  students,  retired teachers  and their family members. Every year, the Welfare Committee and the Department jointly organize an Inter

Collegiate  Quiz  competition in  memory of  the  eminent  professor  and reputed social figure, Dr. N. Subramonia Wariyar and award five endowments in the name of

former Professors to students for their excellence in studies.

            The department is actively engaged in research activities in different fields of chemistry. The Department had a gleaming history of effective collaborations with

scientific  institutions  in  the state.  The Department  had links with TERLS in the early nineteen sixties (before the lab of Thumpa was constructed). The phenomenal

success of VSSC in developing superior quality rocket   propellants makes one look back and think of the modest and silent experiments done in the Research lab of

the Department. Various other scientific initiatives in the state also consulted the Department on many an occasion during their formative period. Dr. N.S. Warrier, one

of the Professors of the  Department  and  later  the  Principal   of University  College,  was appointed as Officer-in-charge of the Food Testing Scheme ordered by the

Government  In  1958.    He  successfully  tackled  the  contamination  of  enormous  quantities of food grains and other food stuffs by the deadly poison, Folidol. This

successful analytical work done in the Department shows that the Department was always alert to respond to the call of duty and service to the state. The department

also  had  a  notable  history  in  different  frontiers  of  chemistry;   Research works done on the Aromatic Resources of Kerala (by Mr. P. Madhavan Pillai), Surface P

henomena (by Mr. K. P. Dharmaraja Iyer), Utility of rare earth compounds as catalysts in organic reactions (by Mr. V. Chakrapani Achary) etc are a few to mention.

                     At present,  the  department  has active  research in  the  field of  Plant chemistry, Coordination chemistry and Nano chemistry. This is apparent by the

publications that appear in reputed Indian and Foreign journals. UGC supported projects are being carried out in the department.

         Dr. M. L. Harikumaran Nair, Associate Professor of this department works in the synthesis of novel complexes of transition and inner transition metal ions using

polydentate  ligands especially  Schiff bases and  azo dyes derived from various substituted aromatic amines. He has over 25 years of experience in this field and is a

recognised  guide under the University of Kerala. Currently 5 students are doing PhD under his guidance. He has about 40 papers in his account in journals of national

and international repute.

       Dr. M.K. Sreedhar and Prof. G. Rajeev carry out research in the field of Polyoxometalate Nanosorbent for Environmental Remediation. The objectives of this study

is to  synthesise  polyoxometalate  nanosorbents,  characterize  and investigate their roll in the cost-effective removal of water pollutants like mercury, lead, chromium,

cadmium, arsenic,  molybdenum  and  vanadium,  which are soluble, non-degradable and accumulating toxic heavy metal ions that can reach the top of the food chain

and thus become a risk factor for human health.

      Infra-red Spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer, Spectrum 65)

      UV-Vis Spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer, Lambda 25)

      Magnetic Susceptibility Balance (Sherwood Scientific, UK)

      UV-Vis Spectrophotometer Single Beam (Systronics)

                     The minor instruments includes; Polarograph, Polarimeter, Digital Potentiometer, Electronic balances, Conductivity meter, Refractometer, etc..

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