An article and method of forming the article are disclosed. The article has a surface comprising a nanostructured ferritic alloy. The surface includes a plurality of nanofeatures that include complex oxides of yttrium and titanium disposed in an iron-bearing alloy matrix. The iron-bearing alloy matrix at the surface includes about 5 weight percent to about 30 weight percent of chromium, and about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of molybdenum. Further, a concentration of a chi phase or a sigma phase in the nanostructured ferritic alloy at the surface is less than about 5 volume percent. The method generally includes the steps of milling, thermo-mechanically consolidating, annealing, and then cooling at a rate that hinders the formation of chi and sigma phases in the nanostructured ferritic alloy at the surface.