The study considered the formation and catalytic properties of the active sites in Pd/C and Ru/C catalysts supported on carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon black ( CB). The nature of carbon support was shown to affect the dispersion of supported metal and its catalytic properties in the aqueous-phase hydrogenation of furfural. The 1.5% Pd/CB catalyst demonstrated a high selectivity (99%) for furfuryl alcohol during hydrogenation of furfural at a temperature of 50 degrees C and hydrogen pressure of 0.5 MPa. The 1.5% Pd/CNT catalyst was not active under mild conditions of the reaction (50 degrees C, 0.5 MPa), but had a greater tendency to reduce the furan ring under severe conditions (90 degrees C, 0.5 or 2.0 MPa) as demonstrated by an increased yield of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. The ruthenium samples showed a low activity in aqueous-phase hydrogenation of furfural irrespective of the support nature and reaction conditions, possibly due to irreversible adsorption of water on the active sites. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.