致力于材料界面的结构与物性研究，以像差校正透射电子显微术结合第一性原理计算为特色研究方法，以材料界面相关物理特性的原子与电子层面的物理机制为主攻方向，在原子尺度系统深入地研究了界面原子与电子结构对材料的相稳定性、电学和磁学等性能的影响。近年的代表性研究工作有：1）相稳定性研究方面：提出并发现了区别于晶体、准晶和非晶的固体新结构——一维晶体，拓展了人们对固体结构的认识；发现了面缺陷三维网络对材料相变的抑制作用，深化了有关材料缺陷与相变关系的理解。2）电学性能研究方面：揭示了超硬材料界面二维电子气的形成机理和晶格失配的新驰豫机制；揭示了准一维导电材料电学特性的界面结构起源，发展了原子尺度精确控制材料相变的技术并构筑了具有一维导电性与二维铁电性的新型多功能薄膜。3）磁学性能研究方面：运用差分相衬成像（DPC）等方法研究了Fe3O4孪晶界和反相畴界的磁性耦合机制，建立了界面原子电子结构与界面磁性耦合的直接关系。

代表性著作：
1.A. Tao,  T. T. Yao, Y. X. Jiang, L. X. Yang, X. X. Yan, H. Ohta, Y. Ikuhara, C. L. Chen*, H. Q. Ye, X. L. Ma*, Single-dislocation Schottky diodes, Nano Letters 21, 5586−5592 (2021).
2.T. T. Yao, Y. X. Jiang, C. L. Chen*, X. X. Yan, A. Tao, L. X. Yang, C. H. Li, K. Sugo, H. Ohta, H. Q. Ye, Y. Ikuhara, X. L. Ma*, Ferroelectric oxide thin film with an out-of-plane electrical conductivity. Nano Letters 20, 1047−1053 (2020).
3.D. Q. Yin, C. L. Chen*, M. Saito, K. Inoue, Y. Ikuhara*, Ceramic phases with one-dimensionallong-range order, Nature Materials 18, 19–23 (2019).
4.C. L. Chen*, D. Q. Yin, T. Kato, T. Taniguchi, K. Watanabe, X. L. Ma*, H. Q. Ye, Y. Ikuhara*, Stabilizing the metastable superhard material wurtzite boron nitride by three-dimensional networks of planar defects, PNAS 116, 11181–11186 (2019).
5.C. L. Chen*, H. P. Li, T. Seki, D. Q. Yin, G. Sanchez-Santolino, K. Inoue, N. Shibata, Y. Ikuhara*, Direct determination of atomic structure and magnetic coupling of magnetite twin boundaries, ACS Nano12, 2662–2668 (2018).
6.C. L. Chen*, D. Q. Yin, K. Inoue, F. Lichtenberg, X. L. Ma*, Y. Ikuhara*, J. G. Bednorz, Atomic-scale origin of the quasi-one-dimensional metallic conductivity in strontium niobates with perovskite-related layered structures, ACS Nano 11, 12519–12525 (2017).
7.C. L. Chen, Z. C. Wang*, T. Kato,N. Shibata, T. Taniguchi, Y. Ikuhara*, Misfit accommodation mechanism at the heterointerface between superhard diamond and cubic boron nitride, Nature Communications 6, 6327 (2015).
8.R. Ang, Z. C. Wang*, C. L. Chen*, J. Tang, N. Liu, Y. Liu, W. J. Lu, Y. P. Sun, T. Mori*, Y. Ikuhara, Atomistic origin of an ordered superstructure induced superconductivity in layered chalcogenides, Nature Communications 6, 6091 (2015).
9.K. P. Mckenna*, F. Hofer, D. Gilks, V. K. Lazarov, C. L. Chen*, Z. C. Wang, Y. Ikuhara, Atomic-scale structure and properties of highly stable antiphase boundary defects in Fe3O4, Nature Communications 5, 5740 (2014).
10.C. L. Chen, Z. C. Wang*, F. Lichtenberg, Y. Ikuhara*, J. G. Bednorz, Patterning oxide nanopillars at the atomic scale by phase transformation, Nano Letters 15, 6469–6474 (2015).
C. L. Chen, Z. C. Wang*, M. Saito, T. Tohei, Y. Takano, Y. Ikuhara, Fluorine in shark teeth: Its direct atomic-resolution imaging and strengthening function,Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53, 1543_x001F__x001F_–1547 (2014).