Two combustion synthesis methods involving the use of polyacrylaimide hydrogel and humic acid as fuels were developed to synthesize ceramic nanoparticles for fabrication of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In the first combustion synthesis, crosslinked polyacrylamide hydrogel was formed to uniformly disperse ceramic precursors. The gelation and mild combustion processes were induced by microwave, leading to highly crystalline ceramic nanoparticles. NiO/ Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC) composite nanoparticles and SDC nanoparticles were synthesized for surface modification of the anode support and making dense electrolyte films on the anode support, respectively. In the second combustion synthesis, humid acids (HAs) were used as the complexible fuel. HAs can be extracted at low cost from brown coal and renewable biomass, and they have high heats of combustion, which are important for a self-sustaining combustion process. This synthesis method was used to synthesize SDC nanoparticles for preparing SOFC cathodes. The single SOFCs made from these nanoparticles exhibited a maximum power density of 710 mW/cm2 at 650°C operated with H2/air, suggesting the synthesized nanoparticles are of high quality. These two combustion synthesis methods show the potential for large-scale fabrication of oxide ceramic materials for various applications.