The effect of the use of cerium (1 wt%)-doped alumina on the performance of Pt/Al2O3, Pt/CeO2/Al2O3 and Pt/CeO2/Al2O3 catalysts on the partial oxidation of methane (POM) was evaluated. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). Platinum dispersion was estimated through cyclohexane dehydrogenation. Pt/CeZrO2/Al-doped catalyst showed the best performance on the POM. XRD analysis revealed that the previous addition of ceria to alumina led to the formation of a homogeneous solid solution, which exhibited a high-oxygen storage capacity. The good activity and stability of this material was associated to its higher metal dispersion, higher oxygen storage capacity and larger degree of coverage of alumina by CeZrO2 oxide, which increase the effectiveness of the carbon cleaning mechanism. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.