Rh nanoparticles supported on commercial non-purified N-doped CNTs (NCNTs) containing residual CNT growth catalyst have been studied in hydrogenation of CO to higher alcohols. It has been found that Co and Mn residues in NCNTs are not inert, but change the catalyst under reaction conditions and efficiently promote the catalyst resulting in both increasing activity and selectivity to C2+ alcohols with time on stream. [GRAPHICS] .