Spanning over 10 years of dedication to opening up several new research directions in the field of green chemical/materials synthesis, Chen has studied multifunctional advanced composite nanomaterials for energy storage applications, such as Li/Na ion and Li/Na sulfur and other metal batteries, and established in situ TEM technique to study some key fundamental issues which can provide feedbacks for materials synthesis and practical applications such as energy related areas. Very recently, Chen adopted an unusual design that utilizes two additional classes of solids, “mixed ionic-electronic conductors” and “electron and Li-ion insulators”, leading to new electrode design for more powerful solid-state batteries. His work has been highlighted by Science, MIT News, U.S. DOE, etc. He also serves as a reviewer for more than 50 Journals including AM, ACIE, PMS, Nat. Commun. and Chem. Currently, he has a talent fund program of RMB 7 million.