Here, for the first time, the average size of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrode nano-particles was reduced through the chemical desiccation of infiltrated precursor nitrate solutions. Specifically, after firing at 700 degrees C, CaCl2-desiccated La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3-delta (LSCF) - Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (GDC) cathodes contained LSCF infiltrate particles with an average size of 22 nm. This is in contrast to comparable, undesiccated LSCF-GDC cathodes which contained LSCF infiltrate particles with an average size of 48 nm. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and controlled atmosphere electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that desiccation reduced the average infiltrate particle size without altering the infiltrate phase purity, the cathode concentration polarization resistance, or the cathode electronic resistance. Compared to undesiccated LSCF-GDC cathodes achieving polarization resistances of 0.10 Omega cm(2) at 640 degrees C, comparable CaCl2-dessicated LSCF-GDC cathodes achieved 0.10 Omega cm(2) at 575 degrees C. Mathematical modeling suggested that these performance improvements resulted solely from average infiltrate particle size reductions. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.