Thermal barrier coatings(TBCs)offer the potential to significantly improve efficiencies of aero engines as well as gas turbine engines for power generation. State-of-the-art TBCs,typically consisting of an yttria-stabilized zirconia top coat and a metallic bond coat,have been widely used to prolong lifetime nowadays.In the paper,research status and progresses of materials for thermal barrier coatings are briefly reviewed. Except yttria stabilized zirconia,other materials such as lanthanum zirconate and rare earth oxides are also promising materials for thermal barrier coatings.