Department of

Chemistry

About the Department

The Department was established in 2003 following the splitting of the Department of Basic Sciences into Biological Sciences, Physics and Chemistry Departments. The department was established to provide room for growth in terms of academic programs, research, collaborations, outreach activities and short courses. The Department aims at providing high-quality training and research in chemistry for prospective chemists and other science related disciplines. It therefore offers mainstream undergraduate courses in general chemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and environmental and physical chemistry.

Due to the faculty restructuring that was effected in 2018, Chemistry Department moved from the Faculty of Education to the newly established Faculty of Science, Technology and Innovation (FoSTI). Since restructuring the Department has grown such that now it offers the Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) and two postgraduate programmes, namely, the Master of Science in Applied Chemistry and the Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Chemistry. Currently, the two postgraduate programmes have enrolled foreign students under the ACENUB scholarship.

Our Programs

Explore a diverse range of academic programs designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their fields.

Partnerships

The Department has made progress in areas of teaching, research, consultancy and outreach projects despite many obstacles. The section below summarises some of the achievements and the challenges.

The Department has initiated a partnership agreement between with the  ACE II – PTRE of Moi University in Kenya to promote: Staff Collaborative Research, Staff and postgraduate student exchange, Masters and PhD students training,  Joint research publications, Sharing of research facilities/equipment, Joint proposal application, Joint supervision of postgraduate students, Exchange of information: books, publications and other relevant e-resources, and Holding joint conferences, workshops and seminars.

The Department is working with the Africa Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU – ASRIC) Bureau (2021 to-date), an arm of the African Union responsible for mobilization of African research excellence, STI as well as dialogue and voice for the scientific community in building and sustaining continental research-policy nexus with the aim of addressing Africa’s socio-economic development challenges, where among others the following are advanced: Scientific programs of AU-ASRIC; Development and implementation of the ASRIC Strategic Plan for 2022 – 2028; Development and implementation of the ASRIC Resource Mobilisation Strategy for 2022 – 2028; Accreditation of the African Centres of Excellence through the Scientific Programmes Committee of the ASRIC, African Academy of Sciences and Pan African Universities (PAU), Monitoring and evaluation of the ASRIC Flagship Project on Fighting Stunting in Africa: Waging War on Malnutrition and Pollution; Monitoring and evaluation of the ASRIC Flagship Project on Corona Viruses’ Diagnostic and Treatment for All. Made in and For Africa, under the AU-ASRIC Initiative on Community Based and Inclusive Innovation; Monitoring and evaluation of the ASRIC Flagship Project on Designing and Development of AI-Enabled Irrigation with Fertigation System; Monitoring and evaluation of the ASRIC Flagship Project on Africa Disaster Mitigation Research Center (ADMIR) under the AU-ASRIC Initiative on Community Based and Inclusive Innovation; and Monitoring and evaluation of the ASRIC Flagship Project on Africa Free of Hepatitis “Hepatitis-Free Village” under the AU-ASRIC Initiative on Community Based and Inclusive innovation, 2021 to-date.

The Department is an active member of the Malawi Academy of Sciences, an independent organization intended to promote science and engineering and strengthen their influence and contribute to the implementation of the Malawi 2063 – strategic and development goals.

The Department has since 2021 been Collaborating with the Centre for Agriculture Transformation Soil Amendment Works – Healthy Soils for Improved Agricultural Productivity and Commercialisation for the Centre for Agriculture Transformation (CAT) SMART farms for crop diversification in Lilongwe and Zomba funded by the Foundation for Smoke Free World (FSFW) and Agriculture Transformation Initiative (ATI).

The Department has also been collaborating under the UNDP Innovation Accelerator lab and JICA since 2019 in provision of technical leadership, supervisory and advisory role in the production and distribution of PPEs for COVID response and recovery.

The Department has been collaborating with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) / Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) on Circular Economy and Waste Management (Plastics) on assessment of the current status of the circular economy in the waste sector for developing a waste stream specific roadmap in Malawi in Malawi through Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO).

The Department is also in collaboration with Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit (NanoWS)-South Africa in the Nanotechnology, Material Chemistry and  Polymermer Chemistry research as well as determination of Sucrolase as indicator for Defacto Wastewater re-use for drinking water supply.

Furthermore, the Department is collaborating with CDC Group UK Plc on Environmental Monitoring and development of Environmental Management Plans for KelFoods, Agricane and Tropha Estates

Research and Publications

Our department and research teams actively publish in peer-reviewed journals, contributing valuable insights to the fields of Chemistry. These publications reflect our commitment to academic excellence and our drive to address pressing global challenges.

  • Manda, M., Wanda, E. (2020) Understanding risk in Karonga Town, Malawi in “Breakin Cycles of Risk Accumulation in African Cities”. HS Number: HS/059/19E, ISBN Number (Volume): 978-92-1-132851-6, United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat), pp. 22-29.

     

    Wanda, E.M., Nyoni, H., Mamba, B.B. and Msagati, T.A. (2022). Comparative analysis of performance of fabricated nitrogen-doped carbon-nanotubes, silicon/germanium dioxide embedded polyethersulfone membranes for removal of emerging micropollutants from water. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 127 (2022) 103164.

     

    Kayira, F., Wanda, E.M.M. (2021). Evaluation of the performance of Mzuzu Central Hospital wastewater oxidation ponds and its effect on water quality in Lunyangwa River, Northern Malawi. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 123 (2021) 103015.

     

    Wanda, E.M.M., Chavula, G., Tembo, F.M. (2021). Hydrogeochemical characterization of water quality evolution within Livingstonia coalfield mining areas in Rumphi district, northern Malawi, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 123 (2021) 103045.

     

    Chawezi O. Sibande, C.O., Mtonga, E., Chidya, R.C.G., Kanzunguze, A., Wanda, E.M.M. (2020). An Assessment of Streamflow Linkage between Land Use or Land Cover Change and In Lilongwe River Basin, Malawi. Malawi Journal of Science and Technology, Vol 12, 2022.

     

    Kamanula, M., Munthali, C.Y. and Kamanula, J.F. (2022), ‘Yield and physicochemical properties of Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) seed oils among nine international provenances tested in Malawi’. International Journal of Agronomy, Volume 2022, Article ID 7145113, 8 pages. http://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7145113.

     

    Kamanula, M., Munthali, C.Y. and Kamanula, J.F. (2022), Nutritional and phytochemical variation of Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) (Subspecies caffra and birrea) fruit among nine international provenances tested in Malawi’. International Journal of Food Science, Volume 2022, Article ID 4686368, 12 pages. http://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4686368.

     

    Kayange, C., Nyirenda, S.P., Mwamlima, L.H., Kamanula, J.F., Munthali, C.R.Y., Njera, D. and Maluwa, P. (2022), ‘Field and Laboratory evaluation of pesticidal plants for bioactivity against rape and tomato pests in Malawi. Advances in Agriculture, Volume 2022, Article ID 2858994, 11 pages. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2858994

     

    Ngonda, F., Mpeketula, P., Kamanula, J., Kamng’onaa, A. and Lampiao, F. (2018), ‘In Vitro Antioxidant Activities and HPTLC Fingerprint Analysis of five Malawian Medicinal Plants’. Glob. J. Med. Plants Res. 5(1): 1-8.

     

    Chipinga, J.V., Kamanula, J.F., Bisrael, P. and Moyo, B. (2018), ‘Efficy of Pterocarpus angolensis crude extracts againstCandida krusei, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Escherichia coli’. Malawi Medical Journal 30 (4): 219-224.

     

    Manyozo, F.N., Ambuko, J., Hutchinson1, M.J. and Kamanula, J.F. (2018). Effectiveness of evaporative cooling technologies to preserve the postharvest quality of tomato. Int. J. Agron. Agri. R. 13 (2):136-148.

     

    Luhana, C., Moyo, I. and Mashazi P. In-sera selectivity detection of catecholamine neurotransmitters using covalent composite of cobalt phthalocyanine and aminated graphene quantum dots. Microchem. J. 2022, 180, 107605. DOI 10.1016/j.microc.2022.107605

     

    Luhana, C. and Mashazi P. Simultaneous detection of dopamine and paracetamol on electroreduced graphene oxide – cobalt phthalocyanine polymer nanocomposite electrode. Electrocat. 2022, DOI 10.1007/s12678-022-00806-7

     

    Luhana, C. and Mashazi P. Conducting Nickel Hydroxide Thin Film on Molybdenum Disulfide-Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite Electrode for Simultaneous Detection of Uric Acid, Dopamine and Ascorbic Acid. ChemElectro. 2024 https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.202400149

     

    Mwamatope, B. Tembo T., Chikowe I.,  Maliwichi-Nyirenda C., Kampira E.and  Masumbu  F. Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used for Management of Cancer in Karonga District, Northern Malawi. 2021.

     

    Masumbu F., Mwamatope B., Tembo D., Mwakikunga A., Kamanula J., Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants claimed by traditional herbal practitioners to manage cancers in Malawi. J Herb. Med. 2023. DOI 10.1016/j.hermed.2023.100796

     

    Mwamatope B., Bvunzawabaya J., Chikowe I.,  Chisamile W., Namate P., Kumwenda F., Munthali E., Masumbu F., Mbeya R., Sanudi T. Systematic review and chemoinformatics analysis of anti-allergic medicinal plants used in Malawi. 2024. DOI 10.1016/j.sciaf.2023.e02040

     

    Mwamatope  B.,  Chikowe I., Tembo D., Kamanula J.,  Masumbu F. and Kumwenda F. Phytochemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Edible Wild Fruits from Malawi. 2023 DOI 10.1155/2023/2621434

     

    Masumbu  F., Kamanula J., Mwakikunga A., Mwamatope B., Tembo D. Antioxidant Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Herbal Practitioners to Treat Cancer in Malawi. 2023 DOI 10.3390/j6040039

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