Co3O4, Al2O3 and Co3O4/Al2O3 mesoporous powders were prepared by a sol-gel method with starting matierals ofaluminum isopropoxide and cobalt (II) nitrate. A P123 template is employed as an active organic additive for improving thespecific surface area of the mixed oxide by forming surfactant micelles. A transition metal cobalt oxide supported on aluminawith and without P123 was tested to find the most active and selective conditions as a heterogeneous catalyst in the reactionof styrene epoxidation. A bBlock copolymer-P123 template was added to the staring materials to control physical and chemicalproperties. The properties of Co3O4/Al2O3 powder with and without P123 were characterized using an X-ray diffractometer(XRD), a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), a Bruner-Emmertt-Teller (BET) surface analyzer, and 27AlMAS NMR spectroscopy. Powders with and without P123 were compared in catalytic tests. The catalytic activity and selectivitywere monitored by GC/MS, 1H, and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The performance for the reaction of epoxidation of styrene wasobserved to be in the following order: [Co3O4/Al2O3 with P123-1173 K>Co3O4/Al2O3 with P123-973 K>Co3O4-973K>Co3O4/Al2O3-973 K>Co3O4/Al2O3 with P123-1473 K>Al2O3-973 K]. The existence of γ-alumina and the nature of thesurface morphology are related to catalytic activity.

La doped CuO-ZnO-Al2O3 powders are prepared by sol-gel method with aluminum isopropoxide and primarydistilled water as precursor and solvent. In this synthesized process, the obtained metal oxides caused the precursor such ascopper (II) nitrate hydrate and zinc (II) nitrate hexahydrate were added. To improve the surface areas of La doped CuO-ZnO-Al2O3 powder, sorbitan (z)-mono-9-octadecenoate (Span 80) was added. The synthesized powder was calcined at varioustemperatures. The dopant was found to affect the surface area and particle size of the mixed oxide, in conjunction with thecalcined temperature. The structural analysis and textual properties of the synthesized powder were measured with an X-rayDiffractometer (XRD), a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Bruner-Emmett-Teller surface analysis (BET),Thermogravimetry-Differential Thermal analysis (TG/DTA), 27Al solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and transforminfrared microspectroscopy (FT-IR). An increase of surface area with Span 80 was observed on La doped CuO-ZnO-Al2O3powders from 25m2/g to 41m2/g.