Cerium oxide catalysts prepared by a thermal decomposition method using the salt nitrate as precursor were tested for the catalytic combustion of trichloroethlyene (TCE), as a model of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs). CeO2 catalysts calcined at different temperature were found to possess high catalytic activity for catalytic combustion of TCE, and CeO2 calcined at 550 degrees C was the most active catalyst and the complete combustion temperature (T-90%) of TCE was 205 degrees C. Effects of systematic variation of reaction conditions, including space velocity, inlet TCE concentration and water concentration on TCE catalytic combustion were investigated. Additionally, the stability and deactivation of CeO2 catalysts were studied by various characterization methods (such as TG/DTA, EDS, XRD, Raman and XPS) and other assistant experiments. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.