Sulfur tolerant composite cermet electrodes for solid oxide electrochemical cells

An electrode bonded to a solid, ion conducting electrolyte is described, comprising: (A) particles of an electronic conductor, (B) an ion conducting ceramic metal oxide partially surrounding the particles, and bonded to the electrolyte, and (C) an ionic-electronic conductive coating on the ion conducting ceramic metal oxide and exposed portions of the particles. A tubular electrochemical cell is also described containing an exterior electrode bonded to the exterior of a tubular, solid, oxygen ion conducting electrolyte, where the electrolyte is also in contact with an interior electrode. The exterior electrode comprises particles of an electronic conductor partly embedded in a skeletal structure of a dense, essentially only ionic conductive ceramic metal oxide, where the electrolyte and skeletal structure comprise stabilized zirconia, and where the particles and skeletal structure are contacted by a separate, ionic-electronic conductive coating which consists essentially of an oxide selected from the group consisting of doped ceria, doped urania, and mixtures thereof