Liquid Sb anode has been intensively studied for its capability to convert various solid carbon fuels into electricity. Performance of anode is one of the most important issues. In present research, performance of liquid Sb anode SOFC is promoted by an "assisted oxidation process": fuel cell achieved larger current by electrochemically introducing extra amount of Sb2O3 into the anode region. By revealing the interfacial structure between anode and electrolyte, the mechanism of performance promotion is then explained by numerical model from a microstructural point of view: the oxidation process built ionic transporting pathways and extended the electrochemical reactive sites in liquid Sb anode. With the help of extended electrochemical reactive sites, the fuel cell reaches a better performance. The "assisted oxidation process" can be taken as an in-situ method to refine the structure of liquid Sb anode. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.