A symmetrical cell composed of Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-delta electrolyte is constructed with 0.5 mm thickness and Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05LiO2 (NCAL)-foam Ni composite electrodes. Electrochemical performance of the cell and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) are measured using the three-electrode method. The maximum power densities of the cell are 93.6 and 159.7 mW cm(-2) at 500 and 550 degrees C, respectively. The polarization resistances of the cathode are 0.393 and 0.729 Omega cm(-2) at 550 and 500 degrees C, indicating that NCAL has good ORR activity. HT-XRD results for NCAL do not show phase transitions or any additional new phases at elevated temperatures, indicating that NCAL has a stable phase structure. The surface characteristics of the NCAL powders are studied by XPS and FTIR. The results reveal that Li2CO3 and the cation-disordered "NiO-like" phase are formed on the surface of the layered NCAL structure due to prolonged exposure to air and contain a large number of oxygen vacancies. The cation-disordered "NiO-like" phase and Li2CO3 composite in the melt and partial melt states in the high temperature region are considered to possess very high ionic conductivity and lower activation energy for oxygen reduction reactions. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.