The catalytic oxidation of acetylene (C2H2) and propene (C3H6), selected as model unsaturated hydrocarbons, was investigated over uncoated- and Co3O4-coated natural clay honeycomb monoliths and their performance was compared with commercial cordierite. Co3O4 was deposited using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and chosen based on its recently demonstrated high activity. The catalytic behavior of the clay and cordierite-based monolithic samples has been investigated for the determination of the temperature-dependent conversion yield, specific reaction rate and related activation energy. The obtained results revealed a promising intrinsic catalytic performance of the uncoated clay monoliths. Furthermore, a synergetic interaction between the clay and the Co3O4 film has enabled an improved performance relative to the coated cordierite. The present paper reveals a promising potential application of the natural clay as catalyst and/or catalyst-support through the association of the advantages offered by the chemical composition and honeycomb monolithic structure of clay. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.