La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.8Mn0.2O3 (LSFM) compound is synthesized by sol- gel method and evaluated as a cathode material for the intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC). X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates that the LSFM has a rhombohedral structure with R-3c space group symmetry. The XRD patterns reveal very small amount of impurity phase in the LSFM and Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) mixture powders sintered at 600, 700, 800 and 850 degrees C for a week. The maximum electrical conductivity of LSFM is about 35.35 S cm(-3) at 783 degrees C in the air. The oxygen chemical diffusion coefficients, D-chem, are increased from 1.39 x 10(-6) up to 1.44 x 10(-5) cm(2) s(-1). Besides, the oxygen surface exchange coefficients, k(Chem), are obtained to lie between 2.9 x 10(-3) and 1.86 x 10(-2) cm s(-1) in a temperature range of 600 -800 degrees C. The area-specific resistances (ASRs) of the LSFM symmetrical cell are 7.53, 1.53, 1.13, 0.46 and 0.31 Omega cm(2) at 600, 650, 700, 750 and 800 degrees C respectively, and related activation energy, E-a, is about 1.23 eV. (C) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.