The effects of cesium doping (in the concentration range up to 5 wt.% Cs2O) introduced into a copper catalyst with the composition corresponding to that for the industrial catalysts used for low-temperature water-gas shift process (LT-WGS) have been investigated. Precursors and catalysts have been characterized by XRD, ICP-OS, TPD-EGA, N2O chemisorption, TPR. N-2 physisorption and reaction rates for WGS and methanol synthesis under the pressure of 2.5 MPa have been determined. The results reveal that the cesium doping inhibits radically methanol synthesis, with the optimal Cs2O content being < 1 wt.%. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.