The study reports the modification of the developed Ce0.90Co0.10O2-delta catalyst by incorporating copper ions in order to improve the catalytic activity for total and preferential CO oxidation (TOX and PROX). A series of metal ion substituted ceria catalysts, Ce0.90Co0.10O2-delta and Ce0.90-xCuxCo0.10O2-delta (x=0.01, 0.03 and 0.05) were synthesized in a single step by the urea-assisted solution combustion method. The compositions, textural and structural properties of the catalysts were characterized by XRD, XPS, Raman, H-2-TPR and ICP-OES. The insertion of Cu ions in Ce0.90Co0.10O2-delta greatly enhanced the reducibility and improved the activity, with especially the Ce0.85Cu0.05Co0.10O2-delta catalyst showing superior catalytic performance compared to other bimetallic catalysts. Analysis of the reaction profiles and rate calculations suggest that H-2 and CO oxidation over Ce0.90Co0.10O2-delta may be occurring on the same active sites, while the two reactions appear to be taking place on independent sites over the Cu-containing catalysts. In addition, the effect of H2O/CO2 in PROX has been studied. The degree of deactivation by H2O and CO2 decreased with increasing the Cu content in the catalysts. The presented catalysts are highly active, selective and stable in TOX and PROX. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.