Manganese oxides were synthesized by exotemplating using an activated carbon and a carbon xerogel as templates. The template effect and the impregnation method were studied. Up to a seven fold increase in the surface area was obtained for the materials prepared by exotemplating when compared to the standard calcination method. The catalytic performance of these manganese oxide materials was assessed in the total oxidation of ethanol. The catalytic activity was found to be mainly dependent on the manganese oxidation state and to a lower extent on the surface area. The best catalysts were able to oxidize ethanol into 100% of CO2 at 240 degrees C. Experiments without oxygen in the feed suggest that the lattice oxygen can react with ethanol and is involved in the ethanol oxidation mechanism. There is a strong correlation between the catalytic activity and the lattice oxygen donating ability, which depends on the oxidation state of manganese and the surface area. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.