A functional composite powder containing nano-sized NiO and YSZ (8 mol% Y2O3-ZrO2) co-conjugated on YSZ powder is synthesized by a Pechini-type polymerizable complex method in an effort to yield improved performance and durability in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). A SOFC single cell made from the dual composite powder exhibited high power density of 1.2 W cm(-2) and showed excellent durability (zero degradation) under a load of 1.0 A cm(-2) during 550h of operation at 800 degrees C. The durability is attributed to the uniform and constrained cermet structure, and particularly from the interface between Ni and YSZ, which has been modified via nano-conjugation. The proposed composite powder is an attractive candidate material for making homogeneous, durable, and highly efficient electrode microstructures. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.