The selective oxidation of glycerol was performed using mono and bimetallic catalysts based on An and Pd and supported on graphite. Moreover, the preparation of bimetallic systems (Au-Pd) was investigated by using different procedures based on sol immobilisation method. The results showed that the use of a bimetallic system significantly improved the activity with respect to the monometallic system; whereas, the selectivity to glyceric acid showed to be dependent upon the reaction temperature and the preparation method used. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.