The equilibrium deposition filtration technique was properly developed in order to allow the deposition, via adsorption, of a relatively large amount of the Co2+ ions on the gamma-alumina surface. This, in turn, permitted the preparation of a Co2+/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst with a very high active surface as compared to that achieved by preparing the corresponding catalyst using the conventional pore volume impregnation technique. In the so-prepared EDF catalyst, the joint use of nitrogen adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature programmed reduction, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy showed that the gamma-alumina surface is mainly covered by very well dispersed Co2+ oxo-species with octahedral symmetry.