To path indicator Subpages of “Newsdetail“ To navigation To quick access To footer with other services
To content
Studierende sitzt am Arbeitsplatz und schaut auf den Laptop. © Aliona Kardash​/​TU Dortmund
Grant from the Wübben Foundation for Science

Prof. Matthias Grotevent is conducting research on nanomaterials for the energy transition

© Michael Schwettmann
Prof. Matthias Grotevent kam zum 1. April 2026 an die TU Dortmund.
Prof. Matthias Grotevent develops innovative nanomaterials for the energy transition and miniaturized optical technologies. His research aims to simplify the production of such materials, thereby enabling more efficient solar cells and compact optical systems. Since April 1, he has been conducting research at the Department of Physics at TU Dortmund University and at the Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems (FEMS) of the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr). His professorship in “Colloidal Nanostructures” is funded by the Wübben Foundation for Science with 1.2 million euros over a six-year period.

Through its “Tenure Track Professorship” program, the Wübben Foundation for Science supports German universities in appointing international scientists who have already worked abroad for several years. Matthias Grotevent earned his Ph.D. at ETH Zurich and at the Swiss research institute Empa. As a postdoc, he conducted research in the U.S. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the research group of Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Moungi G. Bawendi. Most recently, he served as research director at a U.S. startup specializing in flexible solar modules before accepting a position at TU Dortmund University.

His research is interdisciplinary in nature and combines basic research in materials development with practical applications and collaboration with industrial partners. He also highlighted this during his inaugural lecture as part of the Physics Colloquium in early July. “I studied chemistry, conducted research in physics, and today work as a materials scientist with an engineering mindset,” said Grotevent.

Mini-spectrometers and flexible solar cells

His research focuses on nanomaterials whose properties can be specifically tailored. This allows them to absorb or transmit light particularly efficiently, making them suitable for new applications in optoelectronics. One advantage is that these materials can be processed from a liquid state. This significantly simplifies manufacturing and could make new technologies more affordable and accessible. One example is miniaturized infrared spectrometers, which, with the help of these materials, could become small enough to fit inside smartphones in the future. They could, for instance, help detect pesticide residues in food or monitor blood sugar levels without drawing blood.

© Oliver Schaper​​/​​TU Dortmund University
Dr. Marion Müller (center) of the Wübben Foundation for Science presented the grant certificate to Prof. Matthias Grotevent (right) in the presence of Prof. Markus Betz (left), dean of the physics department.

These materials also hold great promise for the energy transition: Grotevent is developing new approaches for flexible and exceptionally lightweight perovskite solar cells. The focus is not only on more efficient materials, but also on their large-scale production. The goal is to apply extremely thin layers evenly across large surfaces. Simplified manufacturing processes are intended to make production more reliable and facilitate industrial application.

His research is based at the Department of Physics at TU Dortmund University, which has particular strength in the development of modern spectroscopic methods. He also contributes his expertise to the Research Center for Future Energy Materials and Systems, where the universities of the Ruhr University Alliance (UA Ruhr) pool their research on new materials and their role in the energy system of the future.

Contact person for inquiries: