n-Butanol dehydrogenation to butyraldehyde was studied using Ru, Cu and Ru-Cu catalysts supported on ceria, titania and zirconia. Among the monometallic Cu and Ru supported catalysts, the non-noble catalytic systems recorded higher conversions and butyraldehyde selectivities than the noble catalysts. Furthermore, the 5Cu/ZrO2 catalyst had the best catalytic activity and selectivity. This behaviour is related to the good metal phase dispersion on the zirconia structure. The addition of Ru reduced this catalyst's performance because Ru incorporation weakened the Cu-support interaction and favoured the sintering of the Cu metal crystallites.