A low content of CoOx (1 wt% Co loading) was deposited on CeO(2 )nanoparticles (CoCe-P), nanorods (CoCe-R) and nanocubes (CoCe-C) for toluene oxidation. The CoCe-P catalyst showed a significantly higher activity than CoCe-R or CoCe-C. Compared with CoCe-C, the temperature of toluene conversion (T-90 = 90% and T-50= 50%) for CoCe-P decreased by Delta T- 90 = 86 degrees C and Delta T- 50 = 60 degrees C. The reaction rate (r, mol m(-2) s(-1)) of the CoCe-P catalyst at 220 degrees C increased by nine times. The low content of CoOx formed as either nanoparticles or highly dispersed species on the surfaces of different CeO2 nanostructures. The different interactions between CoOx and CeO2 are intrinsically relevant to the various redox and catalytic properties. There exists a synergistic effect at the interface between CoOx and CeO2 . Highly dispersed CoOx species and the increased oxygen vacancies at the interface led to the excellent performance of CoCe-P for toluene oxidation.