Single-step synthesis of DME was studied on four different bifunctional catalysts containing Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 as the common methanol synthesis component and ferrierite, ZSM-5, NaY or HY, as the solid acid component. The catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation of the metallic component in the slurry of the zeolite, and were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, XRD and ammonia TPD. Cu-ZnO-Al2O3/ferrierite is found to be superior to the other catalysts in terms of better conversion and DME selectivity because of facile reducibility of the metal component, suitable topology, proper acidic property and resistance towards catalyst deactivation. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.