The influence of the TiO2 crystalline phase and of the surface area on the activity and stability/deactivation behavior of structurally well-defined mesoporous Au/TiO2 catalysts with comparable Au loading in the CO oxidation reaction was investigated by kinetic measurements under differential reaction conditions and by in situ DRIFTS. The crystalline phase and surface area of the TiO2. substrate were controlled by the pH and the type of the structure-directing surfactants applied in the synthesis. Au loading of the mesoporous oxides was performed by the same deposition-precipitation procedure for all catalysts. The resulting trends in the CO oxidation behavior, including the TOF based activities and the stability/deactivation behavior are discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.