The CuO-CeO2 composite oxides supported on Y-zeolite were prepared by means of wet-impregnation method. The derived catalysts exhibited excellent activities and high stabilities for gas-phase HCl catalytic oxidation to Cl-2. 90% conversion of HCl can be accomplished at a reaction temperature as low as 390 degrees C. Comparing with the results reported in literature, the CuO(12)-CeO2(13)/Y catalyst developed in the current study showed exceptionally high space time yield for Cl-2 (62.7 mmol g(cat)(-1) h(-1) at 410 degrees C). A correlation between the characterization results and the activities of CuO-CeO2/Y suggested that higher content of well dispersed CuO species and intensive CuO-CeO2 association (the formed CuxCe1-xO2-y and surface oxygen spillover) are critical to determine high activity. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.