ZnO and ZrO2 has been produced under basic conditions. Hydrozincite, precipitated from a zinc acetate solution under alkaline conditions (after drying and calcination) transformed to ZnOy. This oxygen-deficient solid only reduced marginally in 5 kPa H-2 at a maximum rate at 770 K, as confirmed by a Zn-2p(3/2) binding energy decrease. It adsorbed CO and even more extensively CO2. This ZnOy adsorbs pyridine equally on Lewis acid sites (LAS) and Bronsted acid sites (BAS) and promotes CO hydrogenation at 523 K to methanol to the extent of 61.9 nmol/m(2)/min. ZrO2 amorphous aerogels and crystalline xerogels adsorbed pyridine more in a H-bound state and promoted CO hydrogenation more to propan-2-ol at 523 K. The reasons for this surface reactivity are sought in terms of LAS-BAS concentrations and the potential of aerogel routes to ZnO are considered.