Karnatak Science College, Dharwad, is an Institute in the North Karnataka region of India. The Karnatak Science College is the Constituent Science College of Karnatak University Dharwad and offers basic and applied courses in science, both at the undergraduate and the pre-university level.The Karnatak Science College, Dharwad, was originally part of the Karnatak College Dharwad (KCD), which was established in 1917, by the then-Government of Bombay. The Karnatak College was established from the painstaking efforts of Diwan Bahaddur S K Rodda (CIE), Rao Bahaddur R C Artal, Sir Siddappa T Kambli. Diwan Bahaddur S K Rodda, a member of the Bombay Legislative Council on behalf of Southern Division, for three terms, undertook a vigorous campaign to collect two lakh of Rupees for the foundation of Karnatak College. Rao Bahaddur R C Artal, one of the founders of the Lingayat Education Association, Dharwad, collected one hundred thousand of rupees toward the establishment of the Karnatak College. Sir Siddappa T Kambli, Minister of Education, Government of Bombay, was deeply involved in improving the education facilities in North Karnataka. He was responsible for the transfer of materials, apparatus, equipment and library books from the closed Deccan College, Poona, to the Karnatak College, Dharwad. The staff, students and alumni of Karnatak College (Arts & Science) remember the efforts made by these pioneers by celebrating Founder's day every year.The Karnatak University took over the college in 1958, to be run as a model college, for administrative convenience. Late Prin. G.S. Paramasiviah was the first principal of the bifurcated science college, and served as Principal from 1958 to 1968. Dr. J C Uttangi (1968-1976), Prof. H R Ladwa (1976-1981), Mr Pujari (1981-1992) & Prof. R S Bhoosnurmath (1994-1998) are some of the stalwarts who occupied the post of Principal of Karnatak Science college, Dharwad. Presently, Dr. C.F. Mulimani, Criminology and Forensics Science, is the principal.S.. G.S.S.
In this study, Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH)/sodium alginate (SA) biodegradable blend films, crosslinked with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and loaded with biosynthesised silver nanoparticles (SNPs), were developed for chicken breast (CB) meat packaging. FT-IR and XRD analyses confirmed intermolecular interactions among TEOS, SNPs and the PVOH/SA matrix, while SEM/EDS revealed uniform SNP dispersion. UV-Visible spectroscopy verified SNP formation (430–460 nm), following pseudo-first order reaction kinetics (Kap = 0.03839 min− 1), with an average particle size of 81.3 nm. The optimised PSTX-3 film exhibited excellent UV shielding (UV-A 99.78
This study focuses on the sustainable production of biodiesel from Feronia elephantum seed oil (FESO), a non-edible and underutilized feedstock. A heterogeneous catalyst, zinc-doped calcium oxide (Zn-CaO) was synthesized using waste chicken eggshells and zinc nitrate through a wet impregnation method. The catalyst was characterized by SEM, EDX, and XRD techniques to confirm its morphology and elemental composition. To synthesize biodiesel from FESO, an optimized transesterification process was conducted using a 5 wt% Zn-CaO catalyst loading, a 1:8 oil-to-methanol ratio, and a reaction temperature of 65°C for 2 hours. This process achieved a biodiesel yield of 97%, with a 98.2% conversion confirmed by 1H NMR analysis, which is higher than the biodiesel yield obtained by homogeneous transesterification. Comprehensive biodiesel characterization was performed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR), 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C-NMR), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The Zn-CaO catalyst exhibited a turnover frequency of 0.0117 mol g-1 h-1 indicating its effective catalytic performance. The environmental impact of the process was assessed using green chemistry metrics such as E-factor, reaction mass efficiency, mass intensity, and catalyst sustainability. The findings demonstrate that Zn-CaO derived from waste eggshells is an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly catalyst. In addition to exploring FESO for biodiesel synthesis, the present work focuses its possible uses as a bio lubricant for diesel engines. This work presents a promising approach to biodiesel production that supports waste valorisation and aligns with principles of green chemistry and sustainable development.
The development of bifunctional nanomaterials through simple synthesis routes is crucial for advancing sustainable energy. This research presents a facile, low-cost hydrothermal synthesis of copper telluride nanorods and demonstrates their exceptional bifunctionality for supercapacitor and sensor technology. Comprehensive structural characterisation confirmed the formation of single-phase hexagonal nanorods with an average diameter of 72 nm. Electrochemically, Cu2Te nanorods exhibited a high specific capacitance of 920 F g- 1 at 10 mV s- 1 in a 1 M KOH electrolyte, retaining 83% of capacitance after 5000 cycles due to efficient pseudocapacitive charge storage. A fabricated symmetric solid-state device delivered a capacitance of 45 F g- 1, energy density of 25 Wh kg- 1, and power density of 1000 W kg- 1. Simultaneously, a modified Cu2Te electrode served as a highly sensitive sensor for the detection of diclofenac sodium, an emerging water pollutant, exhibiting a low detection limit of 0.088 mu M and a wide linear range from 0.001 mu M to 1000 mu M. The superior performance in both applications is attributed to the synergistic combination of high electrical conductivity, a moderate accessible surface area, and abundant active sites. This study establishes hydrothermally synthesised Cu2Te nanorods as a promising, versatile material platform for next-generation energy storage and environmental monitoring devices.
The presence of polymer binders in conventional powder-based electrodes often increases interfacial resistance and hinders electrochemical performance by blocking electrochemically active sites. To address this issue, we report the synthesis of binder-free Cu-substituted NiFe2O4 (Ni1-xCuxFe2O4, x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1) via a simple reflux condensation route. The influence of Cu/Ni molar ratios on the structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties of NiFe2O4 was thoroughly examined. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy confirm the formation of a single-phase cubic spinel structure of the material. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed the formation of hierarchical structures. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-Ray Photo-electron Spectroscopy validate the elemental composition and chemical state of the material. Electrochemical evaluation in 1 M KOH reveals that 50% Cu-substituted NiFe2O4 achieved the highest capacitance of 907 Fg-1, at a current density of 1 Ag-1. A symmetric device based on the optimized electrode delivers an energy density of 27 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 1200 W kg-1 and successfully powered a light-emitting diode (LED). This work demonstrates how thoughtfully engineered materials can become impactful materials, designed not just for science but for building a sustainable world.
