Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9 (SDC)-impregnated La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSM) composite cathodes were fabricated on anode-supported yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films. Electrochemical performances of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) were investigated in the present study. Four single cells, i.e., Cell-1, Cell-2, Cell-3 and Cell-4 were obtained after the fabrication of four different cathodes, i.e., pure LSM and SDC/LSM composites in the weight ratios of 25/75, 36/64 and 42/58, respectively. Impedance spectra under open-circuit conditions showed that the cathode performance was gradually improved with the increasing SDC loading. Similarly, the maximum power densities (MPD) of the four cells were increased with the SDC amount below 700 degrees C. Whereas, the cell performance of Cell-4 was lower than that of Cell-3 at 800 degrees C, arising from the increased concentration polarization at high current densities. This was caused by the lowered porosity with the impregnation cycle. This disadvantage could be suppressed by lowering the operating temperature or by increasing the oxygen concentration at the cathode side. The ratio of electrode polarization loss in the total voltage drop versus current density showed that the cell performance was primarily determined by the electrode polarization. The contribution of the ohmic resistance was increased when the operating temperature was lowered. When a 100 ml min(-1) oxygen flow was introduced to the cathode side, Cell-3 produced MPDs of 1905, 1587 and 1179 mW cm(-2) at 800, 750 and 700 degrees C, respectively. The high cell outputs demonstrated the merits of the novel and effective SDC-impregnated LSM cathodes. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.