The liquid-phase selective hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde to crotyl alcohol over Au supported on a solid base of Mg2AlO-hydrotalcite (Mg/Al = 2) was investigated. The 2% Au/Mg2AlO catalysts were prepared using a modified deposition precipitation method without adjusting the pH of the initial HAuCl4 solution. The influence of the calcination temperatures of the Mg2AlO support and of the 2% Au/Mg2AlO catalyst, and the effects of the reaction medium (solvent), temperature, pressure and concentration were studied. The promoter, Fe, Moor W, was co-deposited with Au on Mg2AlO to maximize the yield of crotyl alcohol. 2% Au/Mg2AlO was compared with Au supported on FeOOH, Fe2O3, CeO2,TiO2 and Al2O3. The correlation between the gold states (Au3+/Au-0) and the activity and selectivity of crotyl alcohol was extensively examined. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.