In order to improve the catalytic activity of commercial Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-delta (BSCF) for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFC) (300-600 degrees C), CoOx has been used to modify the commercial BSCF through a solution coating approach. Phase and morphology of samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), respectively. BSCF with 10 wt% CoOx exhibited an improved conductivity of 44 S/cm, and achieved a peak power density of 463 mW/cm(2) at 550 degrees C for LTSOFC, which is a 100% enhancement than that with the BSCF cathode. The cathode oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) promoted by CoOx and enhanced device performance mechanism have been proposed. This work provides a new way for the exploitation of high effective cathode materials for LTSOFCs. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.