Chen’s research lies at the intersection of materials science, chemistry, and engineering, with a focus on the design, synthesis, and characterization of materials for electrochemical energy storage, functional and structural metals and alloys, and emerging quantum materials. His group combines solid-state chemistry, electrochemistry, and materials synthesis with advanced in situ and operando characterization, including X-ray diffraction and synchrotron-based techniques, to understand and control relationships among materials synthesis, structure, properties, and performance. A major emphasis of his research is the development of high-throughput and autonomous approaches for materials discovery and synthesis, integrating advanced characterization with AI- and machine-learning-driven materials design. An emerging research direction focuses on high-throughput synthesis and operando mapping of quantum materials phase space, with the goal of accelerating the discovery of synthesis–structure–property relationships in quantum and quantum-enabling materials. His group also develops novel synthesis strategies for nanostructured and functional materials, with broader interests in energy storage, sustainability, and emerging materials technologies.