Two nanostructured bulk LaCoO3 powders were prepared by co-precipitation and with the citrate gel method and compared with the two nanocomposites obtained depositing, by wet impregnation, cobalt oxide on the La2O3 surface. All the prepared samples were characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron (XP) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopic techniques, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermal analysis. XRD results suggest that only the citrate gel method allows to obtain a single phase lanthanum cobaltite powder having a rhombohedral perovskite structure. Moreover, SEM images confirm the wide scale homogeneity. In contrast, a lanthanum hydroxide phase (hexagonal) is also evident in the sample obtained by co-precipitation method. In the nanocomposite richer in cobalt, besides the rhombohedral perovskite, the hexagonal lanthanum oxide and hydroxide phases are also detectable. Perovskite phase does not form when the amount of deposited cobalt oxide is too low. Both in the nanostructured sample prepared by citrate gel method and nanocomposite with [Co/La](nominal) 1.0 XPS, DRIFT and TGA outcomes suggest a lower presence of hydroxyl groups and carbonates species. The reactivity of the powders with respect to carbon monoxide was studied (at atmospheric pressure, between RT and 573 K) by means of the diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. A significant signal around 2058 cm(-1) testifies about the interaction of CO with the Lewis acidic sites distributed on the surface of all the samples. The two nanostructured bulk LaCoO3 show a high reactivity toward CO oxidation since 423 K. A similar oxidation capability is observed also for the nanocomposite richer in cobalt. In contrast, a rather low reactivity is displayed from the nanocomposite with lower Co/La nominal atomic ratio and La2O3. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.