Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ, 8 mol% Y2O3) scaffolds, with surface areas up to 68 m(2)/g, were prepared by sintering hybrid inorganic-organic propylene oxide (PO) gels in an argon atmosphere between 1050 degrees C and 1350 degrees C. During sintering, a hard carbon template forms in situ that preserves the scaffold nanomorphology. The carbon template is completely removed postsinter by heating in air to 700 degrees C. Surface areas of 24, 14, 3.2, and 2.4 m(2)/g were achieved for argon sintering temperatures of 1050 degrees C, 1150 degrees C, 1250 degrees C, and 1350 degrees C, respectively. By adding glucose to the gel formulation, the amount of carbon template increases from 4 to 59 wt% and the surface area increases from 14 to 68 m(2)/g. Remarkably, the surface area only decreases to 59 m(2)/g upon heating to 900 degrees C in air. This in situ carbon templating approach offers a flexible platform to create and preserve highly desirable surface areas and nanomorphologies while sintering at high temperatures. The utility of this approach to improve low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell electrode performance is discussed.