The reaction of ethanol over unreduced and H-2-reduced 1 wt% Pt/CeO2 hits been investigated primarily by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Steady state reactions have been conducted to pro, ide information regarding the kinetics of the above reaction. Characterisation of the catalyst has been achieved through the use of XPS and titration of surface metal sites with CO. XPS studies have shown that the addition of Pt partially reduces the CeO2 surface, as indicated by the decrease in the O/Ce ratio from the stoichiometric value to 1.59. FT-IR studies have shown, that ethanol adsorbs dissociatively to form two types of ethoxides (monodentate and bidentate). The presence of Pt resulted in a Delta v(C-O)= ca. -20 cm(-1), for both species, with respect to observed ethoxide band positions on CeO2 alone. This shift may indicate that these species are perturbed due to the presence of Pt2+ clusters and the surface oxygen vacancies associated with them. The oxidative dehydrogenation of these ethoxide species produces acetaldehyde on both the unreduced and H-2-reduced Pt/CeO2 surfaces. Adsorbed crotonaldehyde species were observed and characterised by bands at 1657 and 1632 cm(-1) corresponding to v(C=O) and v(C=C), respectively. TPD experiments have shown that between unreacted ethanol and acetaldehyde, benzene is produced in appreciable amounts from both the unreduced and H-2-reduced surfaces of Pt/CeO2. The formation of benzene has been postulated to proceed via reaction of surface-bound crotonaldehyde and acetaldehyde species. Additional studies involving the adsorption of CO over H-2-reduced CeO2 and Pt/CeO2 have been conducted. FT-W results show that CO does not adsorb appreciably on CeO2. In addition to linear and bridged CO species, a tilted CO species was identified, by a broad band at ca. 1704 cm(-1) on Pt/CeO2 following adsorption of CO. Carbonite species (1325, 1297, 1190, and 1082 cm(-1)) were also detected on Pt/CeO2 following adsorption of CO and subsequent heating. TPD following CO adsorption on both CeO2 and Pt/CeO2 have shown that the predominant desorption product is CO2. CO2 desorbs from both CeO2 and Pt/CeO2 in three temperature domains. The lower desorption temperatures, 400 and 525 K, correspond to oxidation of CO to CO2 and decomposition of formate species, respectively. The high-temperature (700 K, CeO2 and 578 K, Pt/CeO2) CO2 desorptions arise from the decomposition of hydrogenocarbonates and carbonate species.