The catalytic properties of the nanocomposites were evaluated at various temperatures during the gas-phase dehydration of glycerol, an environmental friendly reaction. A pressure of 1 atm and a glycerol/water molar ratio of 0.25 were applied. Nanocomposites possessing high surface area were synthesised, and silica-containing CeO2-MnO2, NiO-Al2O3 and CeO2-Al2O3 nanoparticles were obtained. The materials were characterised by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, TPR, TEM and SEM-EDX analysis, and the textural properties of the materials were determined. The effect of the structure, surface properties and textural parameters was evident in the unique properties of the nanoparticles, and the accessibility of the active sites dictated the catalytic activity. The basicity and reducibility of the nanoparticles on silica plays a critical role in the catalytic properties of the oxides. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.