One of the major challenges to develop "intermediate temperature" solid oxide fuel cells is finding a novel cathode material, which can meet the following requirements: (1) high electronic conductivity; (2) chemical compatibility with the electrolyte; (3) a matched thermal expansion coefficient (TEC); (4) stability in a wide range of oxygen partial pressure; and (5) high catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this short review, a survey of these requirements for K 2 NiF 4 -type material with the formula Ln 2 MO 4 , Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm; M = Ni, Cu, Fe, Co, Mn, is presented. The composition-dependent TEC, electrical conductivity and oxygen transport property are considered. The Ln 2 MO 4 materials exhibit improved chemical stability and compatibility with most of the traditional electrolytes. The complete fuel cells integrated with Ln 2 MO 4 materials as cathodes show promising results. Furthermore, these materials are considered as cathodes of protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC), and/or anodes of high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE). First results show excellent performances. The versatility of these Ln 2 MO 4 materials is explained on the basis of structural features and the ability to accommodate oxygen nonstoichiometry.intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (ITSOFCs), cathode, K 2 NiF 4 -type structure, oxygen non-stoichiometry