Matthias Grotevent is Conducting Research on Nanomaterials for the Energy Transition

Professor Matthias Grotevent is developing innovative nanomaterials for the energy transition and miniaturized optical technologies. The aim of his research is to simplify the production of such materials and in so doing pave the way for more efficient solar cells and compact optical systems. Since 1 April, he has been conducting research at the Department of Physics at TU Dortmund University and the Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems (FEMS), part of the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr). The Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft is funding his professorship – “Colloidal Nanostructures” – with €1.2 million for six years.

The purpose of the “Tenure Track Professorship” program of the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft is to help German universities appoint international scholars who have already worked abroad for several years. Matthias Grotevent earned his doctoral degree at ETH Zurich and Empa, a Swiss research institute. He was then a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S., where he was a member of the group led by Moungi G. Bawendi, laureate of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Before joining TU Dortmund University, he was Research Director for an American start-up that produces flexible solar panels.

In his work, he takes an interdisciplinary approach that combines basic research in materials development with practical applications and collaboration with industrial partners. He highlighted this during his inaugural lecture at the Physics Colloquium at the beginning of July. “I studied chemistry, conducted physics research and am now working as a materials scientist with an engineer’s mindset,” said Grotevent.

Miniaturized Spectrometer and Flexible Solar Cells

His research centers on nanomaterials whose properties can be adjusted to specific requirements, which enables them to absorb or transmit light particularly efficiently and makes them suitable for new optoelectronics applications. One advantage is that these materials can be processed from a liquid state. This significantly simplifies production and could make new technologies cheaper and more accessible. One example is miniaturized infrared spectrometers, which could become so small with the help of these materials that in the future they could fit inside a smartphone. They could help detect pesticide residues in food, for instance, or monitor blood sugar levels without needing to take a blood sample.

In the photo, you can see two men and a woman standing side by side, smiling at the camera for the picture. — Dr. Marion Müller (middle) of the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft handed the certificate of funding to Professor Matthias Grotevent (right) in the presence of Professor Markus Betz (left), Dean of the Department of Physics.

These materials are very promising for the energy transition as well: Grotevent is developing new approaches for flexible and particularly lightweight perovskite solar cells. This is not just a matter of more efficient materials but also their large-scale production. The aim is to apply extremely thin layers evenly across large surfaces. Simplified manufacturing processes should make production more reliable and industrial use much easier.

Grotevent is conducting his research at the Department of Physics at TU Dortmund University, which is particularly strong in the development of modern spectroscopic methods. He is also contributing his expertise to the Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems (FEMS), where the UA Ruhr universities bundle their research on new materials and their role in the energy system of the future.

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