The role of catalyst pretreatment on the stability of Mo2C catalysts in oxidative reforming environments has been studied. Catalysts were produced by both the temperature programmed reaction (TPR) and a solution-derived (SD) synthesis method, and compared to a low surface area commercial catalyst. Using a variety of techniques, including in situ dynamic X-ray diffraction (DXRD), the effects of various hydrogen pretreatment protocols were evaluated, including catalyst thermal stability, oxidation resistance and susceptibility to coking. The high surface areas produced by the SD synthesis is attributed to the presence of excess synthesis carbon and, whereas the presence of excess synthesis carbon enhances thermal stability, it also appears to accelerate coking. It is pointed out that the lowered oxidation resistance of the high surface area catalysts is due to a combination of smaller crystallite sizes and competitive oxidation of the excess synthesis carbon, which alters the oxidation mechanism. In addition, it was also found that incomplete carburization during TPR synthesis, forms an oxycarbide and its acidity also promotes coking. Hydrogen pretreatment at 700 degreesC not only removes all excess synthesis carbon, but it also reduces the oxycarbide to Mo, which is easily carburized under reforming conditions. Pretreatment at 600 degreesC, was largely ineffective and it is concluded that high temperature pretreatment is necessary to form the stoichiometric carbide, which is required for stability during reforming. Both the TPR and SD catalysts pretreated at 700 degreesC, were found to be stable over a 72 h period, whereas the commercial carbide had almost identical activity but slowly deactivated over the same period, probably because of its low surface area. Finally, labeled isotope experiments revealed that carbon exchange occurs readily with bulk Mo2C at temperatures above 550degreesC, lending credence to a reforming redox mechanism. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.