We report the growth of porous yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) columnar nanostructures by the glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. CeO2 sol solution was incorporated in to YSZ creating high interface density columnar nanostructures. Initial experiments indicate a nonlinear conductivity response in the combination nanostructures. The combination nanostructures had higher conductivity than polycrystalline CeO2 and polycrystalline YSZ in the intermediate temperature range of 600-825 K. GLAD/sol-gel process to create high-density columnar nanostructures or high CeO2/YSZ boundaries per unit volume is discussed in the context of solid oxide fuel cells operating at intermediate temperatures. (c) 2005 The Electrochemical Society.