A low-temperature abatement of carbon monoxide from mixtures as complicated as smoke was considered. Catalytic oxidation and chemisorption of CO on activated carbon-supported Pd and Cu catalysts were investigated. Heterogenized Wacker-type catalysts and the product of catalyst degradation, a dispersed Pd-Cu catalyst, were prepared and found to be promising for the smoke applications. Deactivation of the catalyst was found to be caused by the catalyst dehydration process, which appeared to be reversible. A heat treatment in a CO + O-2 reaction gas flow resulted in the conversion of a Wacker-type transition metal complex catalyst to Pd-0 atoms or small clusters. This new system composed a very active chemisorbent of CO and a relatively stable oxidation catalyst at elevated temperatures. This immediately prepared catalyst showed 70% removal of CO from smoke. The elements of the mechanisms of CO oxidation were studied under the gas-flow and gas-pulse conditions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.