This article describes a novel non-hydrogenating FCC gasoline upgrading catalyst system consisting of a kaolin/gamma-Al2O3 binary-matrix and an active component zeolite HZSM-5. Different catalysts made from the different combinations of HZSM-5 with the three matrices (two kaolins and gamma-Al2O3) or their binary mixtures were prepared and their catalytic performances were assessed in a continuously flowing fixed-bed reactor using FCC gasoline as feedstock. The results showed that compared with the single-matrix based HZSM-5 catalysts, the binary-matrix based HZSM-5 catalysts had much better catalytic performance. The characterization results of the acidity, specific area and pore structure proper-ties of the catalysts revealed that the synergisms between the matrices and HZSM-5 in the acidity and pore distribution of the binary-matrix based catalysts accounted for their improved catalytic performance. Our results demonstrated that the non-hydrogenating catalyst system developed in the present investigation can convert olefins in FCC gasoline into aromatics that have higher research octane number (RON) and thus has potential application for FCC gasoline upgrading because of its excellent olefin reduction ability and RON preservability. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.