In this work a manganese oxide in the form of octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-2, also called cryptomelane) has been synthesized and used as catalyst and support for Pt. The catalysts were tested and compared with Pt-Al(2)O(3) in the combustion of methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK), toluene, ethyl acetate and a mixture of toluene and ethyl acetate. Bare OMS-2 was significantly active for the combustion of the oxygenated VOCs and in the case of MEK partial oxidation product was detected at intermediate conversion levels. Platinum on OMS-2 showed high dispersion and improved the activity for toluene oxidation, showing a performance better than that of Pt-Al(2)O(3). As for the VOCs mixture, Pt-OMS-2 presented the highest combustion activity due to the coexistence of active sites for the total oxidation of both aromatic and oxygenated VOCs. Competitive adsorption effects were not observed with this catalyst that achieved complete conversion of 1000 mg C/m(3) of VOCs at temperatures below 260 degrees C (1200 mg C g(catalyst)(-1) h(-1)). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.