Mesoporous iron and copper mixed oxides nanopowders with high specific surface area were synthesized by a very simple, fast, surfactant-free, environment-friendly and inexpensive solid state method. The catalytic behavior of the nanopowders was investigated in low-temperature CO oxidation at atmospheric pressure. The physicochemical characteristics of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), thermal gravimetric and Differential thermal analyses (TGA and DTA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The powders showed mesoporous texture with relatively small pore diameter distributions with crystal sizes in nanometer order (12-30.7 nm). The incorporation of CuO into the Fe2O3 and the creation of a synergetic effect influenced the physicochemical and catalytic properties of the Fe2O3 in low temperature CO oxidation. The CuO center dot Fe2O3 catalyst possessed the highest BET area and activity with a CO total conversion at 100 degrees C. This catalyst also illustrated high catalytic stability during the reaction, without any decline in CO conversion. (C) 2018 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.