major drawback of currently used ferritic stainless steel interconnects in solid oxide fuel cells is the loss of electrical conductivity due to high-temperature oxidation of the steels and the formation of a poorly conductive chromia layer. To overcome this problem, a composite coating consisting of dispersed conductive LaCrO3 particles in a Ni matrix has been developed, studied, and optimized. Codeposition was performed using a Watts nickel electroplating bath containing suspended LaCrO3 particles. The optimum conditions to maximize the particle volume fraction in the coating were determined to be a current density of 40-50 mA/cm(2), 20 g/L particle loading in the bath, pH 4, and suspension of particles in the plating bath by means of an overhead impeller. For the optimum conditions, a particle volume fraction in the coating equal to similar to 35 vol % was achieved. Oxidation tests showed that the conductive particles are embedded in the oxide layer, and the oxidation growth rate is reduced remarkably compared with pure Ni electrodeposits. (c) 2008 The Electrochemical Society.