Niobia-aluminas were prepared by chemical vapour deposition at 150 degrees C of niobium pentachloride on the surface of gamma-aluminas calcined at different temperatures and with controlled degrees of hydration, followed by hydrolysis with water vapour at 150 degrees C and a thermal treatment with steam at 440 degrees C aimed at removing surface chloride contamination. The samples were characterised with respect to chemical composition, surface area, acidity by temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, nature of acid sites by infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine and catalytic activity at 370 degrees C in the dealkylation of cumene. The results showed that, for each alumina calcination temperature, the catalysts with the lowest niobium content have a higher density of acid sites than the alumina support, but the acidity decreased, within each series with an increase in the niobium content. Comparatively to the TPD results, catalytic activity in cumene dealkylation was much more sensitive to the history and composition of the samples. The niobia-alumina samples were much less active than the alumina support, but this was most likely due to the severe hydrothermal treatment for chlorine removal, since their activity was close to that of an alumina submitted to the same treatment. A strong decrease in the acidic activity was observed with increase in the niobium content. A sample of pure niobium oxide had a much higher activity than the niobia-alumina samples. Bronsted acidic sites could only be observed by the IR spectra of adsorbed pyridine on the surface of the pure niobium oxide sample. (C)2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.