Chromia-lanthana-zirconia catalysts prepared by wet impregnation and microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition methods have been characterized by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The impregnation procedure requires large amounts of solvent and calcination at high temperatures producing Cr (6+) species. Unlike this, it is found that the microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) method predominantly produces Cr3+ species on zirconia-based supports. Moreover, it has been shown that the dispersion of chromium species deposited on zirconia-based support by the PECVD method is higher than the dispersion of those prepared by wet impregnation. Thus, the advantages of PECVD over the impregnation method consist in this case in preventing the use of large amounts of solvent and avoiding the primary formation of poisonous Cr (6+) species as well as in enabling the deposition of chromium species with high dispersion on zirconia-based supports. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.