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Message from our Faculty

Dear all,

It gives me immense pleasure in releasing the Volume 07 Issue 01 of ChemUnique, the

official magazine of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE) Students Chapter,

SASTRA Deemed to be University.

The Chemical Engineering department of SASTRA Deemed to be University has been

growing tremendously for the past twenty years. It has boosted its outreach to a

commendable position in all dimensions. The department is under constant reorientation of

its syllabus according to the technical advancements in the field. Courses like ASPEN Plus

have been introduced to nurture the significance of process engineering among

undergraduates. Workshops on MATLAB, Open Modelica and other such softwares are

being conducted on a regular basis.

The department has been keen in incubating and inculcating the concept of learning through

research, thereby igniting the element of curiosity in young minds. The department believes

that the students should get practical exposure to the process industry than just indoor

learning. In this pursuit, our students are encouraged to go for Industrial Visits, and undergo

In-Plant Trainings and Internships.

The department takes pride in the resources it has grown to accumulate over the past few

years. It would be my advice to you to make use to these resources and build up your

potential.

Thanking you.

Dr. V. Ponnusami

Professor, Chemical Engineering

School of Chemical and Biotechnology

SASTRA Deemed to be University.

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From the Editor‘s Desk

t is our proud privilege to address the Chemical Engineering community through the in-

house journal of the Department of Chemical Engineering, SASTRA Deemed to be

University- ChemUnique. Over the past few years, ChemUnique has evolved into an

entity that ignites creativity and takes the readers to a realm wherein chemical

engineering marvels are contemplated and understood.

ChemUnique will continue serving its purpose of rekindling the power of mind and thereby

produce oracles, which shall leave an indelible mark in the field of chemical engineering. The

magazine has been growing with every volume and issue, thanks to the readers as well as the

contributors.

Starting this Volume, we will be coming up with a theme for each Issue of the magazine.

This time we have chosen the ever progressing field of Materials Technology. The editorial

article attempts to explore the avenues.

We are indeed indebted to Dr. Naren P.R., Senior Assistant Professor, for his constant

support and guidance. Under his mentorship, we‘ve been nurtured and grown. Our best

wishes to Prof. Dr. Kumaresan R. who was the very cause for the institutionalization of this

magazine.

We would also like to express our profound gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the

outcome of Volume 07 Issue 01 of ChemUnique and share pleasure in publishing the same.

"Become an alchemist. Transmute base metal into gold, suffering into consciousness, disaster into

enlightenment." ~Eckhart Tolle

Hope you have a good read!

Team ChemUnique

Lokesh J Pandya, Editor-in-Chief

Sankili S., Chief Designer

Srinivasan S., Editor

Sathmeeka S., Editor

Roshan Shahid Zubair ZM, Designer

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In This Issue of ChemUnique…

1. An Overview of Materials Technology…………….…….by Team ChemUnique 4

2. ChemE Start-Up………………………………………… by Ananth Raguram G 10

3. The Glory of Graphene……………………………………...by Lokesh J Pandya 11

4. Process Engineering and Processing Chips………...………by Lalith Sumanth Y 13

5. Nanites!?……………………………………………..……………..by Aakash C 15

6. Materials have become Smart Enough………………..…………by Srinivasan S 17

7. Chemiluminescence……………………………………...………by Sathmeeka S 18

8. Additive Manufacturing…………………………..by Roshan Shahid Zubair ZM 20

9. Alumni Connect………………………………….……….by Team ChemUnique 22

10. Chemistry Corner…………………………………………by Team ChemUnique 22

11. Atlas of Education-XI…………………………………….by Team ChemUnique 23

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An Overview of Materials Technology

Team ChemUnique

aterials, materials everywhere; materials rule, so people beware! What are

materials? Why do we need or even need to know about them? This question in

some form would have popped into your mind when you had a look on the cover

page. The Wikipedia definition of material goes something like this: ―Material is a broad

term for a chemical substance or mixture of substances that constitute a thing.‖ To put it in

simple words, a material is matter from which a thing is or can be made.

The evolution and study of materials is as old as the

humankind. Alchemy is one of the oldest forms of

Material Sciences. In fact the process of evolution itself

can be seen from the point of view of materials. The

Taittirīya Upaniṣad says in this regard:

“ākāśād vāyuḥ, vāyoragniḥ, agnerāpaḥ, adbhyaḥ

pṛthivī, pṛthivyā oṣadhayaḥ, oṣadhībhyonnam,

annātpuruṣaḥ”

(This ślokā shows the chronological order in which the

five elements got originated. First came space; from

space, air; from air, water; from water, earth. Further,

from earth, herbs (plants); from plants, food; and from

food, human.)

The history looks at time based on the

material discovered and used: Palaeolithic

(Stone) age, Chalcolithic (Copper) age and

the Bronze and Iron ages. Gold was

discovered around 6000 BCE and Silver

around 4000 BCE. The history of Metallurgy

itself is vast. The later history continues with

the discovery of other metals such as Lead,

Tin, Mercury in the Before Christ era and

many metals and elements in the Common

Era. In the meantime, efforts were being

made to find the structure of an atom, and

how compounds are formed. Then, work

further progressed in the fields of alloys and

ceramics, and the current century owes it to Nanotechnology, Polymers, Composites and

Biomaterials. So we have come this far in the field of Materials Technology. And there is a

lot more to explore. There is nothing like a saturation point. It has a vast horizon.

M

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Every single material has some properties. Properties are the way the material responds to the

environment. For instance, the mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties are the

responses to mechanical, electrical and magnetic forces, respectively. Other important

properties are thermal (transmission of heat, heat capacity), optical (absorption, transmission

and scattering of light), and the chemical stability in contact with the environment (like

corrosion resistance). Processing of materials is the application of heat (heat treatment),

mechanical forces, etc. to affect their microstructure and, therefore, their properties.

The next question which comes up is ―Why should one explore the realms of Materials

Science and Engineering?‖ The answer is as follows:

● To be able to select a material for a given use based on considerations of cost and

performance.

● To understand the limits of materials and the change of their properties with use.

● To be able to create a new material that will have some desirable properties.

All engineering disciplines need to know about materials. Even the most "immaterial", like

software or system engineering depend on the development of new materials, which in turn

alter the economics, like software-hardware trade-offs. Increasing applications of system

engineering are seen in materials manufacturing (industrial engineering) and complex

environmental systems.

So, what are you waiting for? Let‘s traverse through the world of Materials…

The Materials Science Tetrahedron:

Microstructure depends on the processing route, while

performance is dictated by properties. Once a materials

scientist knows about this structure-property

correlation, they can then go on to study the relative

performance of a material in a given application.

Structure is one of the most important components of

the field of materials science. Materials science

examines the structure of materials all the way from the

atomic scale, up to the macro scale. The basic concepts

pertaining to the levels of structure includes concepts in

atomic structure, equilibrium and kinetics, geometry of

crystals, arrangement of atoms in the unit cell, the sub-

structural imperfections in crystals and the

microstructure of single-phase and multi-phase

materials. Among the above mentioned concepts, the

solid-state diffusion and control of phase

transformations is the most important.

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In order to understand the structure of materials and its correlation to property, firstly we

have to start from the basic element of matter– The Atom. The electronic configuration and

the tendency of atoms to attain a stable octet configuration has a vital role in changing the

properties of the atom and hence that of the materials, also it is the tendency of every element

to attain the lowest energy stable configuration that forms the basis of chemical reactions and

atomic bonding. Many properties of the materials depend on the specific kind of bond and the

bond energy. To obtain a full understanding of the material structure and how it relates to its

properties, the materials scientist must study how the different atoms, ions and molecules are

arranged and bonded to each other. This involves the study and use of quantum chemistry and

physics. Solid-state physics and chemistry and physical chemistry are also involved in the

study of bonding and structure. Secondly, Structure-Property correlation is influenced by the

arrangement of atoms in a lattice. This involves the study of different types of solids and

about their crystal systems.

Understanding the basics of crystal structures is of paramount importance as many properties

of materials depend on their crystal structures. Characterization is the way materials scientists

examine the structure of a material. This involves methods such as diffraction with X-rays,

electrons, or neutrons and various forms of analytical techniques such as Raman

spectroscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), chromatography, thermal analysis,

electron microscope studies, etc.

A material cannot be used in industry if no economical production method for it has been

developed. Thus, the processing of materials is vital to the field of materials science. This

urges the study on the basis of thermodynamics and kinetics. The behaviour of the

microscopic particles is described by thermodynamics, it also defines the macroscopic

variables which are concerned with heat and temperature and their relation to energy and

work. Kinetics is essential in processing of materials because, among other things, it details

how the microstructure changes with application of heat. Diffusion is important in the study

of kinetics as this is the most common mechanism by which materials undergo change.

We have seen the historical overview of Material Sciences. Now let us look at the modern

classification. This field has broadened to include every class of materials, including

ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, magnetic materials, medical implant and other bio-

materials, and nanomaterials.

Materials

Metals

Ferrous

Non-Ferrous

Polymers

Thermoplastics

Thermosets

Elastomers

Fibres

Ceramics

Refractory Materials

Abrasives

Glass

Speciality materials

Biomaterials

Nanomaterials

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The prominent change in materials science during the last two decades is active usage of

computer simulation methods to find new compounds, predict various properties using

methods such as density functional theory, molecular dynamics, etc.

Though materials are classified into basic three or four types, the basic materials can be

combined together in different compositions and different combinations to produce more

useful materials with varied properties. The usefulness of such materials is determined by the

production, consumption and demand in the global market since its invention.

Given that each and every material that was invented or discovered had its own impact in the

world, it‘d be difficult to discuss about each one of them. So, let‘s limit our discussion to two

such materials which revolutionised the industry and the society as a whole–Steel and Plastic.

Steel

Steel is an alloy of iron, carbon and other elements in small quantities. Because of its‘ high

tensile strength and low cost, it‘s a widely used component. The history of the steel industry

began in the late 1850s and, since then, steel has been basic to world‘s industrial economy.

The statistical data from the World Steel Association on the production of steel from 2005 to

2015 is a testimony of the demand for steel over the decade:

Yet, another statistical analysis made by the World Steel Organisation (obtained during

December 2016 – May 2018) shows a steep increase in economic growth whenever the

production of steel is high in the particular country, thus showing the intertwining of

production of steel and economic growth.

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The Steel Industry in India

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said, "Steel is a symbol of strength of the economy and a portent of

the glory of India of the future". India has now emerged as one of the significant steel

producers in the world. This growth of steel industry is not a sudden rise, but is a steady

increase after the independence. The 1948-80 periods saw production of steel increase from

1.5 million tons to 15.1 million tons. The annual rate of capacity expansion of steel sector,

however, stagnated between 1968 and 1985. The seventh plan period showed an increase in

ingot steel production from 10.81million tons in 1985 to more than 14 million tons in 1990.

The impact of economic reforms on the steel industry in

India has been tremendous. The total crude steel capacity

of Indian steel industry increased to 27.38 million tons in

1995-96 registering a growth of 23.6% i.e., 5.22 million

tons over 1991-92. After liberalization the iron and steel

industry in India, it has made a considerable progress

showing an increasing trend in production of finished steel

which reached to 31 million tons in 2001-02. The year

2004-05 proved to be a fortunate year for the Indian steel

industry because many of the steel making units were able

to earn profits or reduce their previous debts due to the

increased demand in steel consumption and increase in

steel prices. In 2004-05 the finished steel production was

40 million tons which was again increased to 49.39

million tonnes in the year 2006-07.

Consumption of Steel

The real demand for steel and its products is measured by

both production and consumption of it over a period of

time. As per the recent report made by the World Steel

Association, India‘s consumption of finished steel

products has grown by 6.1% in 2017as compared to 2016.

This growth is projected to be 7.1% by the end of 2018.

Plastics

This is another material whose production has impacted deeply in the lives of the people. The

development of plastics has evolved from the use of natural plastic materials (e.g. chewing

gum, shellac) to the use of chemically modified, natural materials (e.g. natural rubber,

nitrocellulose, collagen) and finally to completely synthetic molecules (e.g., Bakelite, epoxy

resins). Early plastics were bio-derived materials such as egg and blood proteins, which are

organic polymers. In the nineteenth century, as industrial chemistry developed during the

industrial revolution, many materials were reported. The development of plastics also

accelerated with Charles Goodyear's discovery of vulcanization to thermoset materials

derived from natural rubber.

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The production of plastic has seen a tremendous

growth over the years as the plastic can be

incorporated with many of the other materials to

produce goods having a wide range of properties.

Asia is leading the plastic production charts with

the China (28%) topping the Asian countries. the

plastic produced by the Asian countries accounts

for more than 49% of worldwide production.

Europe has a share of 18-19% of the global

production. China has risen to the top within a

few years and has become the most important

plastic producer.

The consumption of plastic has risen proportionately to the production over the few years.

Apart from the production and consumption another important process that plays an

important role in production as well as in the society is the recycling of the plastic and the

waste generation.

The graph depicted below shows the

analysis of waste generation in the

period of 2006-‗14 show a slight

growth. Besides economic impacts,

plastic parts with lower weight (e.g.

plastic bottles) play a significant role

in waste generation process. The

waste quantity rose from by about 1.7

million tons during 2009-‗14. While

disposal quantities decreased by ~4.9

million tons in the last eight years,

recovery quantities rose by 6.2 million

tons up to 17.9 million tons.

Thus it is evident from the production, consumption and the rise in demand of steel and

plastics that materials play a pivotal role not only in the lives of people but also in the

economy and development of each and every country in the world.

The future of Materials Technology is also very luminescent because of the vast scope. In the

recent past, there has been a boom in research as well as industrialization of Nanomaterials,

Biomaterials. So, long story short, Materials Technology is the future and we chemical

engineers are the light for its path to glory.

References Raghavan, V. 1998. Materials science and engineering, 5/e. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India,

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https://nptel.ac.in/courses/113106032/3

https://www.statista.com/statistics/247663/global-consumption-of-crude-steel/

http://www.worldwatch.org/global-plastic-production-rises-recycling-lags-0

https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY_-_Global_steel_2014/%24FILE/EY-

Global-steel-2014.pdf

http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/61997/10/10_chapter%202.pdf

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/indias-steel-consumption-to-grow-61-in-2017-

worldsteel/article9657068.ece

https://committee.iso.org/files/live/sites/tc61/files/The%20Plastic%20Industry%20Berlin%20

Aug%202016%20-%20Copy.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materials_science

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel

ChemE Startup: The Big Game

Ananth Raguram G.

Fourth Year, M. Tech. Chemical Engineering (Integrated)

anandunkh97@gmail.com

t was during an Economics for Chemical Engineers‘ class that I had actually found the

answer to why I chose chemical engineering. The answer was pretty simple; money. The

millennial kids have been exposed to the pop culture ideology and to most of them,

growing up to make lots of money in a short span has been the ambition. It was my ambition

too and I was prepared to do want it demanded. And thus came my tryst with my ambition. I

wanted to make money and I learned that entrepreneurship was the best means of realizing

the dream. However, after a few years, I ended up taking chemical engineering.

It was when Saravanan Sir, who was explaining the outline of accounting procedures and

business transactions that I actually ended up looking at the big picture. Imagine having a

start-up faithful to your field, for instance, chemical engineering. Gee! What a great lot of

money you‘ll end up making! And soon I made a mind map of what it means to have a

chemical engineering start-up and I have jotted down a few thoughts here.

Let us say that you end up getting a decent CGPA. This means that you have gained fair

knowledge in the fields of process design, production engineering, safety, waste

management, and modelling.

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With this, you can almost start up any business venture related to chemical engineering, right

from a micro level brewery to a design consultancy. The only limit to your imagination is

your mind-set.

But first, you are going to need a business plan. Chart it out. Simon Sinek, an organizational

consultant, suggests a ‗Why-What-How‘ method of plan in his best seller ‗Start with why‘.

This is because only if you have a reason to exist (a reality check), you would be able to

figure out what you want to do exactly. Once you know what you want to do, you‘ll be able

to come up with various ways of reaching your target. This is why Apple, according to him,

is a better company than Dell. Apple firmly established why they exist- to make user-friendly

technological gadgets and thus, came up with a huge range of products. Whereas, Dell,

though a good manufacturer of computers, didn‘t know why they existed and thus, ended up

rolling out mp3 players that no one bought. This is why a well-constructed business plan is

required.

Business is a battle. Before you end up in the business battleground, you need to know about

the place you wish to do business and who your local competitors are. This is known as

intelligent market survey. In the book ‗Marketing Warfare‘ by Al Ries and Jack Trout, there‘s

a mention of different means of doing the market survey. You can either aim to grow by

toppling out your competitors or you may choose to co-exist by selling something that you

know, the competitors won‘t be able to sell. This is your Unique Selling Proposition.

Doing the market survey could also mean either of the following two things: Buying out or

collaborating with an existing company or launching a new one altogether either single-

handedly or with a group of partners. Once you choose which way to go, you begin.

References

www.careeraddict.com/start-a-chemical-engineering-business

www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

The Glory of Graphene

Lokesh J Pandya

Third Year, B. Tech. Chemical Engineering

jplokesh1999@gmail.com

ne can put it this way-―Carbon is the great-grandfather of the elements.‖ If there was

no carbon, there would be no Organic Chemistry. Without carbon, life wouldn‘t

have existed at the first place. O

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So, this element has the atomic number of 6 and atomic mass of 12. It too comes in many

allotropes-both crystalline and amorphous. Diamond, Graphite, Charcoal, Fullerene, Carbon

black, Carbon nano-tubes etc. are some of the allotropes of Carbon. Surprisingly, one thing is

common among all the above mentioned allotropes of carbon.

The basic structural unit of all these

allotropes is same and it is named as

‗Graphene‘. Graphene is the form of

carbon consisting of a single layer of

carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal

lattice. It is a semimetal with small

overlap between the valence and the

conduction bands (zero band gap

material.)

What makes Graphene so special?

It is almost 200 times stronger than steel. (Tensile strength=130.5 GPa). Yet, it is

lighter, flexible and like rubber which can stretch to 25% of its length.

More electrically conductive than copper. (Nearly 107 S/m)

Optically transparent.

Thermal conductivity is better than any material. (2000 W/m-K at room temperature)

Graphene has wide range of industrial applications

It was shown to accelerate the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells

without the use of biochemical inducers, to serve as a neuro-interface electrode and was used

to create biosensors with epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide.

Considerable efforts have been devoted to the fabrication

of flexible graphene-based electrodes through a variety of

strategies. Moreover, different configurations of energy

storage devices based on these active materials are

designed. This review highlights flexible graphene-based

two-dimensional film and one-dimensional fiber super

capacitors and various batteries including lithium-ion,

lithium–sulfur and other batteries.

“Graphene has the power to change the world. If the 20th century was the age of plastics, the 21

st

century seems set to become the age of Graphene!”

References

https://www.graphene-info.com/introduction

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095495617307088

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Process Engineering and Processing Chips

Lalith Sumanth Y.

Third Year, B. Tech. Chemical Engineering

lalithsumanth@gmail.com

hat is the main plan for the future industrialization? Well, no need to think that

much. We all know the answer. It is digitalization and automation. We all know

that industries are trying to take the path, which they think, can bring the Fourth

Industrial Revolution; and automation is a vital feature for that. So, machines have to be

introduced instead of manual labour for better performance and economy. But, what is

important for the machines to do the tasks? Well, they are nothing but processing chips.

Processing chip manufacturing is a place where Chemical Engineers play a vital role. Intel,

which makes the chips used worldwide, is the top most hirer of chemical engineers. But how

do they make those chips? And why are chemical engineers vital for this? Well then let‘s take

a small view on what happens in the process.

Basic material

Well, as we all know, it is silicon. Silicon is found mainly in sand

and is then purified to industry grade to use it for the

manufacturing process. The major producer of silicon is China,

which produces about two-thirds of the total production that is

about 4.8 metric million tons. Major part of this silicon is used

for the production of semiconductors and processing chips. The

major companies which produce these chips are INTEL and

AMD.

Insight into the Production Process

Silicon dioxide in the form of sand is used as the raw material for pure silicon production and

the process used is briefly explained below:

• Silicon dioxide is subjected to coke reduction in arc furnace to give calcined product.

• The powder is the dissolved in HCl and distilled to give high purity trichlorosilane.

• Then it is reduced at 900℃ with help of H2 to give polycrystalline silicon. And

further it is subjected to Czochralski Process at a temperature of1500℃.

• The silicon crystals formed are polished through chemical and mechanical means and

are cut through diamond sawing to give pure silicon wafers for use. These silicon

wafers are then used as basic material for the processing of semiconductors

• Methods like Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), Electrochemical Deposition(ED),

Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) are used to

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deposit silicon in different patterns, which is possible to produce silicon coated

circuits, which are used for storage or other purposes.

So, we have seen how it is done but what is role of chemical engineers in this? Well, we‘ll see

about that now.

Importance of Chemical Engineers

Chemical engineers have a very important job in this kind of industries starting from

developing and testing different materials to developing and maintaining different and more

efficient processes for the production and troubleshooting all the problems. The different

applications of chemical engineering are:

Thermodynamics and Kinetics for the crystallization of silicon wafers;

Polymer science in the development of patterned photo resist coatings;

Heat transfer to maintain desired temperature sand manage heat build-up during the

production and working;

Mass transfer to improve etching of complex semiconductor patterns and plating of

electronic micro-channels.

And many more processes need the knowledge of the chemical engineer for them to become

possible.

The Future

India, despite having a large source of silicon is not able to process it because of lack of

technology and power. India is almost totally dependent on the import of silicon from China

and some other countries like Russia. As India taking steps to become a nation purely

depended on renewable energy developing technology to efficiently processes, pure silicon

will be a major step towards the destination.

Silicon based materials are used not only in electronics, but also for making solar panels for

harnessing electrical energy from the sun. And as India is planning to expand its dependency

of solar energy to 100,000MW, developing the necessary technology for processing silicon

will make it simpler for the government to complete this ambitious task.

As the future chemical engineers of India, it is our responsibility to make sure we advance in

the field of development and to help our country see a better tomorrow.

Reference

https://www.ijee.ie/articles/Vol18-3/IJEE1249.pdf

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Nanites!?

Aakash C.

Third Year, B. Tech. Biotechnology

aakash0308@gmail.com

e are living in a world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Robots are continuously

evolving along with us! Over the past decade, we have seen so many

advancements in the field of robotics which has paved the way to a whole new

era of technological evolution. It is true that artificial intelligence seems to be beautiful and

curious but it might as well be harmful to us as they tend to gain more knowledge that they

will overpower us someday.

But, is that all the robots might become harmful to us in the future? Will robots replace

humans completely in every aspect?

A nanobot is a device typically ranging from 0.1-10 micrometres (a micrometre is one-

millionth of a metre), roughly the size of a red blood cell or smaller. These nanobots prove to

be remarkable discoveries in the field of medicine. Nanobots are a perfect portrayal of

Napoleon Hill‘s famous saying, ―If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great

way!‖ Nanobots help in disease identification, drug delivery with high precision and cell

targeting. Made from a folded sheet of DNA, they act as tiny little soldiers which help in

defending the body from various adverse threats. In a recent discovery, these mystery bots

helped in the treatment of cancer. In the study conducted, nanobots were made to target

specific tumour cells in mice and kill them by blocking the blood supply to the tumour cells.

Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the growth of tumour cells and it has been the major

target for the treatment of cancer. These nanobots were coated with blood clotting enzymes

such that when they reach the target tumour cells they were able to block the supply of blood

to that particular site precisely, leaving others unharmed. This has been found highly

effective in the case of benign tumours and further studies are being carried out to make

these, target the metastatic cells.

It is proven that nanobots have been successful in the killing of cancer cells and it is possible

in the near future that these tiny bots can create revolutionary advancements in the field of

medicine. Though this technology is highly effective, it is expensive. Research is being

carried out to make the best out of these nanobots and soon we may be able to cure any

disease with these nanobots including the emperor of all maladies!

Reference

https://www.ft.com/content/57c9f432-de6d-11e7-a0d4-0944c5f49e46

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Materials have become smart enough…

Srinivasan S.

Second Year, B. Tech. Chemical Engineering

srinivasanseshadri@gmail.com

n a world, completely dominated by gizmos capable of responding accordingly to

external actions or stimuli, it is fascinating to know how this technique has been put to

use in materials called ‗smart materials‘.

Modern technologies have already led to many of the materials that can be simulated by, for

example, voltage, light, magnetic field, and pressure. A recent addition to this list is the

materials which respond according to some chemical stimuli. Termed as chemically

responsive materials, these self- adapting materials can be integrated to multicompartmental

systems allowing simultaneous control by chemical stimuli, light, and other environmental

factors.

The basic structures of the chemically responsive materials are a multitude of polymers that

can be made sensitive to various chemical stimuli. Nano gel, cross-linked film, some of the

colloids and homopolymer brush can be taken as examples. Chemically induced surface

changes of such materials can involve their hydrophobicity, wettability permeability, and

polarity. They can control their adsorptive, mechanical, optical or adhesive properties.

Smart Materials in controlled drug delivery system

The limitations associated with conventional therapeutics have intended the use of controlled

drug delivery system. In recent years the hydrogel technology has been an integral part of

human health care. The term hydrogel is itself self-explanatory. To be more precise, they are

defined as a three-dimensional bio polymeric networks, which have the tendency to absorb a

large quantity of water and they themselves are not soluble in water. The three-dimensional

network formation occurs by the cross-linking of the polymeric chains. This cross linking can

occur via physical interactions, covalent bonding, and hydrogen bonding and by van der

Waals interactions. These interactions are made possible because of the presence of the

specific functional groups viz., -OH, -CONH2, -SO3H, -CONH-, -COOR which have a

hydrophilic tendency and thus absorb water and biological fluids. The soft and rubbery

surface, structure and chemical properties of hydrogels mimic to that of human tissue. These

characteristic features make them a potential candidate for drug delivery systems.

With the introduction of hydrogels, smart polymers have emerged as a candidate for the

synthesis of hydrogels for drug delivery the word smart polymers originated from the ability

of hydrogels to imitate the non-linear response of DNA and Proteins. The attempt to

overcome the disadvantages of current drug systems like ineffective delivery and

meddlesome nature led to the discovery of micro/nano hydrogels which provided

perspicacious means of sustained drug delivery systems.

I

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Furthermore, it is also possible to reconcile the drug release kinetics by modifying the shape,

size and drug distribution of the hydrogels during the assembling process. The pH-responsive

nature of hydrogels is studied extensively for drug delivery applications. The structure of the

polymeric matrix plays an important role in deciding its pH-responsive characteristics. The

smart polymer used for hydrogel-based drug delivery systems is Poly (lactic–glycolic

acid).The smart hydrogels loaded with cancer drugs resulted in sustained release of the drugs

until they reach the target cancer cells. These types of systems provide great potential for a

safe and effective vehicle for the future drugs with improved mechanisms.

The most valuable characteristic of the hydrogel, which make them suitable a candidate to be

used in drug delivery system, is their ability to respond to external stimuli specifically to pH

variation. The mechanism behind it can be understood in simple terms. The hydrogels contain

swollen ionic network with either acid or basic groups, which can ionize and develop fixed

charge on the polymer. All the ionic materials possess a pH and ionic strength sensitivity. As

a result of this, swelling force dominating the non-ionic materials, the total mesh size of the

network changes to a large extent with a small variation of pH in the environment. Thus this

provides the advantage of delivering the drug into the site of action. The reduction in the cost

of the therapy and patient compliance are the valuable benefits of this mode of drug delivery.

We can say that the smart materials are being used more and more for making various

processes effective. The field of study of such materials has become significant and these

materials could control the future.

Reference

Vashisht A, Ahmad S. 2003. Hydrogels: Smart Materials for drug delivery. Oriental Journal

of Chemistry. Vol. 29 no. 3.

Chemiluminescence

Sathmeeka S.

Second Year, B. Tech. Chemical Engineering

sathmee2210@gmail.com

e all know that all chemical reactions deal with energy liberation, consumption or

absorption, this is the Law of Energy Conservation. The phenomenon by which a

chemical reaction emits light, as a result, is called Chemiluminescence.

It is the generation of electromagnetic radiation as light by the release of energy from a

chemical reaction. While the light can, in principle, be emitted in the ultraviolet, visible or

infrared region, those emitting visible light are the most common. In a chemiluminescent

reaction, reactive (high energy) intermediates are formed which enter electronically excited

states. The subsequent transition back to ground state is accompanied by a release of energy

in form of light.

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Chemiluminescence usually involves the cleavage or fragmentation of the O-O bond an

organic peroxide compound. Peroxides, especially cyclic peroxides, are prevalent in light-

emitting reactions because the relatively weak peroxide bond is easily cleaved and the

resulting molecular reorganization liberates a large amount of energy.

Chemiluminescent reactions can be grouped into three types

Chemical reactions using synthetic compounds and usually involving a highly oxidized

species such as peroxide are commonly termed chemiluminescent reactions.

Light-emitting reactions arising from a living organism, such as the firefly or jellyfish, are

commonly termed bioluminescent reactions.

Light-emitting reactions which take place with the use of electrical current are designated

electro-chemiluminescent reactions.

Chemiluminescence in forensic sciences

This property of emitting light is widely used in analytical estimations. Forensic scientists use

the reaction of luminol to detect blood at crime scenes. A mixture of luminol in a dilute

solution of hydrogen peroxide is sprayed onto the area where the forensic scientists suspect

that there is blood. The iron present in the haeme unit of haemoglobin in the blood acts as a

catalyst. If blood is present, a blue glow, lasting for about 30 seconds, will be observed.

Chemiluminescence in cancer diagnosis

Chemiluminescence is considered one of the most sensitive methods used in diagnostic

testing; hence it is also used in cancer diagnosis. Hematoporphyrin derivatives (HPDs) are

known to accumulate in cancer cells; thus, HPD has been used for local diagnosis and

photodynamic therapy of cancer. The lymphocytes of cancer patients also demonstrate the

active uptake of HPD and this phenomenon has been applied for the diagnosis of cancer.

Researchers have developed a novel method to measure the chemiluminescence of HPD in

peripheral blood lymphocytes, wherein, HPD in lymphocytes was measured using a highly

sensitive chemiluminescence analyser with laser light irradiation to detect photoemission by

(1) O (2) from HPD. The intensity of chemiluminescence seemed to exhibit a linear

correlation with the concentrations of HPD. Thus the amount of accumulation of HPD was

able to be found; hence detection of the chemiluminescence of HPD in lymphocytes could be

a sensitive and simple method for cancer diagnosis and screening.

Recently, researchers have developed a method to prepare highly effective compounds which

undergoes a chemiluminescent reaction when it comes in contact with specific proteins or

chemical. These compounds can be used as molecular probes in detecting cancerous cells.

Most systems use a mixture of one emitter molecule that detects the species of interest, and

another two additional ingredients—a fluorophore and a soap-like substance called a

surfactant—that amplify the signal to detectable levels. But energy is lost in the transfer

20

process from the emitter molecule to the fluorophore, and surfactants are not biocompatible.

To overcome this, the synthetic chemists linked two key atoms to create a brighter molecular

probe than those in current use which is 3000 times brighter and also water resistant. In

addition, this particular molecule is suitable for direct use in the cells. Based on this,

researchers used the chemiluminescent molecule to measure the activities of several enzymes

and to image cells by microscopy. This gives a new powerful methodology with which we

can prepare highly efficient chemiluminescence sensors for the detection, imaging and

analysis of various cell activities.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemiluminescence/

https://www.scienceinschool.org/2011/issue19/chemiluminescence/

https://www.chemistryandlight.eu/theory/chemiluminescence/

Additive Manufacturing

Roshan Shahid Zubair ZM

Second Year, B. Tech. Chemical Engineering

roshanrohan2919@gmail.com

dditive Manufacturing (AM) is an appropriate name to describe the technologies that

build 3D objects by adding layer-upon-layer of material, whether the material is

plastic, metal or concrete. The term AM encompasses many technologies including

subsets like 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping (RP), Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM),

layered manufacturing and additive fabrication.

How does it work and what are the processes involved?

The clue to the basics of additive manufacturing is rather than producing an end result by

taking material away, it adds to it instead. Traditional manufacturing methods involve a

material being carved or shaped into the desired product by parts of it being removed in a

variety of ways. Additive manufacturing is the right opposite, structures are made by the

addition of thousands of minuscule layers which combine to create the product. The process

A

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involves the use of a computer and special CAD software which can relay messages to the

printer so that it ―prints‖ in the desired shape.

Suitable for use with a range of different materials, the cartridge is loaded with the relevant

substance and this is ―printed‖ into the shape, one wafer-thin layer at a time. These layers are

repeatedly printed on top of each other, being fused together during the process until the

shape is complete.

The Benefits…

Conventional manufacturing techniques are capable of producing a great range of shapes and

designs but additive manufacturing takes production to the next level.

One of the greatest benefits of this more modern technology is the greater range of shapes

which can be produced. Designs that can't be manufactured in one entire piece by traditional

means can easily be achieved. For example, shapes with a scooped out or hollow centre can

be produced as a single piece, without the need to weld or attach individual components

together. This has the advantage of being stronger, no weak spots which can be compromised

or stressed.

The additive manufacturing process is rapid too, rather than needing an endless round of

meetings from engineers in order to be able to tweak designs. With the assistance of the CAD

software, making any changes takes simply the click of the mouse. Rapid prototyping, in

particular, is very quick, with full models produced quite literally overnight in some cases.

This provides companies with far more flexibility and also has the result of slashing costs too.

In the past, the limitations of production have all too often influenced the design, ruling out

ideas because they weren't practically achievable. The introduction of this technology and its

development means the process has been spun on its head, with the design now driving the

production.

Examples

MJM: Multi-Jet Modelling is similar to an inkjet printer, in that a head column, capable

of shuttling back and forth (3 dimensions-x, y, z)) incorporates hundreds of small jets to

apply a layer of thermo-polymer material, layer-by-layer.

SLA: It is a very high-end technology utilizing laser technology to cure layer-upon-layer

of photopolymer resin (the polymer that changes properties when exposed to light).

Models from SLA can be machined and used as patterns for injection molding,

thermoforming or other casting processes.

References

http://additivemanufacturing.com/basics/

https://www.eos.info/additive_manufacturing/for_technology_interested

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Alumni Connect

Team ChemUnique

August 2018 was alumni month for our department, as two of the alumni of the Department

of Chemical Engineering; SASTRA Deemed to be University had visited the current students

for an informal sit-down interaction.

On August 10, 2018, Mr. Balakrishnan of the 2014 batch had visited us. He graduated with a

Bachelor‘s Degree here, then known as SASTRA UNIVERSITY and went on to do his

Master‘s Degree at SRM University, Chennai. He worked at Central Electro Chemical

Engineering Research Institute (CECRI) - Chennai for a while and is now heading to

Chonnam National University, South Korea for his Ph.D. on the field of advanced chemicals

and engineering. His area of research broadly includes electrochemistry and specifically fuel

cells. While interacting, he emphasized on knowing the fundamentals of the field. He also

shared few anecdotes of people he met while working as a consultant at ICT and how poor

they were in simple concepts like molarity, molality, and normality. While speaking on

applying for research opportunities with foreign professors, he suggested in creating a Wix

website to host your personal, educational qualifications and other relevant details so that the

professor whom you had applied to might actually be interested and can go through your

profile which has now been served in a charismatic way. While speaking on research

opportunities here, he asked us to look out for fellowship and internship offers at the

Rasayanika website and the MHRD website.

We were pleased to have with us, Dr. Sriram S., B. Tech. Chemical Engineering graduate

from the 2000 batch, on August 23, 2018. Dr. Sriram holds an M. Tech. degree from IIT

Kanpur, Ph. D. from IIT Madras followed by rich experience in Oil industry. He is presently

working at Kuwait Oil. Dr. Sriram had an informal interaction with the current students and

briefed them with different avenues available for them, especially in process industry, oil

sector and on how one should groom oneself for a career in chemical engineering. His talk

truly inspired us. He patiently addressed the doubts raised by students on preparing for GATE

and other topics. Since the visit, he has been constantly reaching out to the students through

mail and making them aware of the new courses, openings at work related to Process

Engineering and other interactions.

Chemistry Corner

Team ChemUnique

Let us explore a few dyes, their structures and their uses. (Source: Wikipedia)

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Dye Structure Brief Description

Alizarin

This red dye, used for dyeing textile fabrics was

historically derived from the roots of madder plant.

In 1869, it became the first natural dye to be

produced synthetically.

Methyl Orange

Methyl orange is a pH indicator frequently used in.

Methyl orange shows red color in acidic medium

and yellow color in basic medium.

Tartrazine

It is a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye primarily

used as a food coloring.

Malachite Green

It is an organic compound that is used as a dyestuff

and controversially as an antimicrobial in

aquaculture.

Indigo Dye

It is an organic compound with a distinctive blue

Historically, indigo was a natural dye A large

percentage of indigo dye produced today is

synthetic. It is the blue often associated with denim

cloth and blue jeans.

Crystal Violet

It is a triarylmethane dye used as a histological

stain and in Gram's method of classifying bacteria.

Atlas of Education-XI: South Korea

By Team ChemUnique

Having split from North Korea in 1948 into a separately governed country, South Korea has

diverged considerably from its neighbour, developing into an internationally recognized

Asian powerhouse in the fields of technology, education and tourism, to name but a few of its

strengths. Embracing both tradition and modernity, this ‗Asian Tiger‘ has much to offer

international students, and capital city Seoul is currently ranked among the world‘s top 10

student cities.

Investment in education and research has been at the heart of the South Korea's growth into

the world‘s 13th largest economy and the third largest economy within Asia. It‘s this

investment and growth in innovation and technology that has meant the country is known as

one of the four ‗Asian Tiger‘ economies, alongside Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

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For viewing previous issues, log on to http://sastra.edu/iiche/chemunique_mag.php

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