Alfred Ludwig

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alfred Ludwig is a Professor of Materials Science at the Institute for Materials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ruhr-University Bochum. He leads the Chair of Materials Discovery and Interfaces, focusing on combinatorial materials science and high-throughput methods for thin film and nanoparticle-based materials. His research emphasizes solar energy conversion, catalysis, and advanced material characterization.

Education:

• Doctoral degree (1999), University of Karlsruhe
• Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (1996), University of Karlsruhe

Research Interests: Dr. Ludwig’s work centers on interdisciplinary material discovery using continuous composition spread (CCS) thin films to correlate composition-processing-structure-property relationships. His projects include solar water splitting materials, high-throughput screening of semiconductor materials, and electrochemical energy storage systems. Techniques like reactive sputtering and combinatorial synthesis are key to his experimental approaches.

Awards:

• DFG Heisenberg Professorship (2007–2012)

Leadership Roles:

• Coordinator of RUB Materials Research Department (MRD) since 2009
• Managing Director of Zentrum für Grenzflächendominierte Höchstleistungswerkstoffe (ZGH) since 2017
• Editorial Advisory Board member for ACS Combinatorial Science

His lab fosters an international team focused on translating high-throughput research into practical energy materials solutions.