An investigation was performed to evaluate the possibility of using hydrothermal treatment for inserting Pt/CeZrO2 nanoparticles into the mesopores of the previously reported SBA-16 mesoporous silica. The results showed that the Pt/CeZrO2 nanoparticles were successfully inserted into the mesopores of SBA-16 by the hydrothermal treatment, and the highly ordered mesostructure of SBA-16 was retained after the insertion of the nanoparticles. The obtained material was used as a catalyst for the CO oxidation reaction. The catalytic activity and thermal stability of Pt/CeZrO2, inserted via hydrothermal treatment, were higher than those of the mixture of Pt/CeZrO2 and SBA-16. Specifically, the temperature at which 50% CO oxidation was achieved after the catalyst was annealed at 800 degrees C was 290 degrees C for the sample prepared via hydrothermal treatment at 140 degrees C. This temperature at which 50% CO oxidation was achieved is significantly lower than 480 degrees C required for the catalyst prepared via simple mixing. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.