The effect of preparation method on Fe/Al/Cu oxide-based catalysts was investigated for the high temperature water gas shift reaction using simulated waste-derived synthesis gas. Impregnated Fe/Al/Cu catalyst and sol gel prepared Fe/Al/Cu catalyst were compared with a co-precipitated Fe/Al/Cu catalyst. The co-precipitated Fe/Al/Cu catalyst exhibited very high CO conversion (X-co > 85% at 450 degrees C) with stable activity. This performance was attributed to the high surface area, the small crystallite size of the Fe3O4, the ease of reducibility, and formation of reduced form of the Cu species. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.