Ru (2 wt.%) on Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 catalysts were investigated to test their ethanol steam reforming (ESR) performance. The supports were obtained through two different synthesis methods: co-precipitation (PI) and mechanochemical reaction (MR). Characterization of the catalysts, before and after ESR, were performed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), nitrogen physisorption, CO chemisorption, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), thermogravimetry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. The Ru (2 wt.%) PI catalyst exhibited the highest activity and selectivity to hydrogen and no coke deposition was observed during catalytic operation, even when compared to Ni (8 wt.%) PI catalyst. A possible reaction pathway is proposed. The remarkably good catalytic performance of Ru (2 wt.%) PI is regarded as being due to a combination of factors: improved metal dispersion on Ce0.8Zr0.2O2, favorable metal-support interaction and water gas shift reaction promotion. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.