M. Rosa Palacín, ICMAB researcher and vice-director, and specialized in the field of materials for batteries is one of the chosen scientists in this occasion for Nature Chemistry. She says: 

"The current landscape of battery research is really exciting because the main research directions are being driven by applications related to transport electrification and the integration of renewables. The main goals are increasing battery lifetime and enhancing energy density through the use of metal anodes, both requiring skills in electrochemistry, materials science and engineering."

"Machine learning and artificial intelligence have recently emerged as paths that should hopefully catalyse disruptive findings. Last, but not least, sustainability is essential: critical materials must be avoided, recycling should be promoted and the use of manufacturing processes with low CO₂footprints made mandatory." M. Rosa Palacín

Computational chemistry, biochemistry, synthetic chemistry, materials chemistry, surface chemistry, quantum chemistry, catalysis, molecular chemistry, metal-organic-frameworks, proteins and DNA, organic semiconductors, chirality, natural product synthesis, organic synthesis, renewable energy, resistance to drugs, mass spectrometry, supramolecular chemistry, membrane proteins... Exciting fields with exciting challenges and opportunities! 

Reference article:

Charting a course for chemistry. Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Mu-Hyun Baik, [...] Hua Zhang. Nature Chemistry, Volume 11, pages 286–294 (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41557-019-0236-7