Bismuth oxide based oxygen ion conductors are incorporated into (La,Sr)MnO3 (LSM), the classical cathode material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), to improve the cathode performance. Yttria-stabilized bismuth oxide (YSB) is taken as an example and is impregnated into a preformed porous LSM frame, forming a highly active cathode for intermediate-temperature SOFCs (IT-SOFCs) with doped ceria electrolytes. XY ray diffraction indicates that YSB is chemically compatible with LSM at intermediate temperatures below 800 degrees C. The impregnated YSB particles are nanosized and are deposited on the surface of the framework. Significant performance improvement is achieved by introducing nanosized YSB into the LSM electrodes. At 600 degrees C, the interfacial polarization resistance under open-circuit conditions for electrodes impregnated with 50% YSB is only 1.3% ofthe original value for a pure LSM electrode. The resistance is further reduced dramatically when current is passed through. In addition, the YSB impregnated LSM electrodes has the highest electrochemical performance among those based on LSM. Single cell with 25% of YSB impregnated LSM cathode generates maximum power density of 300 mW cm(-2) at 600 degrees C, indicating the promise of using LSM-based electrodes for IT-SOFC. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.