Different mesoporous SBA-15 supports doped with Ti and Al at 5 and 10 wt% have been synthesized by means of direct synthesis. The supports have been characterized by N-2-adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), NH3-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), H-2-chemisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Titanium doped materials showed to have much shorter channels than the pristine SBA-15, while aluminum addition did not have a significant effect on channel length. After impregnation with 12 wt% Co, the catalysts were further characterized and tested in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis at industrially relevant process conditions (483 K, 20 bar, H-2/CO ratio = 2.1, pellet size: 53-90 mu m) with and without external water addition. The Sc5+ values of the different SBA-supported catalysts were low, especially at low conversion levels (i.e. low water partial pressure), suggesting that CO diffusion limitations increased the H-2/CO ratio inside the 1-dimensional (1D) porous network. The selectivity data showed a correlation between the channel length and the extent of CO-diffusion limitations at much shorter diffusion distances than those for conventional 3D porous supports. Water partial pressure showed to increase the syngas diffusion rate (i.e. removal of diffusion limitations on reactants' arrival), to have a positive kinetic effect on the rate and to favor longer chain hydrocarbons. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.