Various sulfated metal oxides were tested as solid acid catalyst for the dehydration of xylose to furfural under milder conditions. On the basis of our findings that sulfated tin oxide exhibited the highest catalytic activity, the effects of the content of SO(4)(2-) group and the calcination temperature on the structural properties and catalytic performance were investigated, and the reusability of the sulfated tin oxide catalyst was evaluated. The acid property on the sulfated tin oxide catalyst was characterized by in situ FT-IR observations of the CO-adsorbed sample. Finally, the reaction mechanism of dehydration of xylose over the SO(4)(2-)/SnO(2) catalyst was considered. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.