Plasma-catalytic removal of acetone over MOx/gamma-Al2O3 (M= Ce, Co, Cu, Mn and Ni) catalysts has been investigated in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. The influence of different catalysts on the plasma-catalytic process has been examined in terms of acetone removal efficiency, CO2 selectivity and the formation of by-products. The combination of plasma with the MOx/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts significantly enhances the removal efficiency of acetone and CO2 selectivity, whilst substantially reducing the formation of by-products (HCHO and HCOOH). The maximum removal efficiency of 94.2% and CO2 selectivity of 80.1% were achieved when using the CuO,h-Al2O3 catalyst. Introducing the CuOx/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst into the plasma system also shows the lowest formation of by-products. Different catalyst characterization techniques have been used to understand the effect of catalyst properties on the plasma reactions. It has been found that the reducibility of the MOx/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts plays a dominant role in the plasma-catalytic oxidation of acetone, whilst the specific surface area and pore properties of the catalysts have a very weak effect on the performance of the plasma-catalytic reaction. In addition, a simplified kinetic model has been developed, showing the effect of different catalysts on the acceleration of the plasma-catalytic removal of acetone. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.