Here we investigate the Pb2CuSr2RCu2O8+delta (R = La, Nd, Eu, Y, Er, Yb and Lu) compounds as oxygen-storage (OS) materials. These materials can be reversibly charged and discharged with a large amount of oxygen up to delta approximate to 2.0 at low temperatures, but the drawback is that upon oxygen loading they decompose once the temperature exceeds similar to 600 degrees C. Fine-tuning of the OS characteristics is however achieved through the choice of the rare-earth constituent R. With increasing size of R, both the oxygen-storage capacity and the stability of the phase under oxygen-containing atmospheres are enhanced. Among the Pb2CuSr2RCu2O8+delta compounds the most promising OS characteristics are found for R = La. These characteristics are discussed in comparison to those of two other layered oxide systems, YBaCo4O7+delta and CuBa2YCu2O6+delta. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.