A series of supported ZnO catalysts were prepared by a novel method, hydrothermal-impregnation-precipitation (FHP). The activities of catalysts were tested for hydrogenation of methyl benzoate (MB). ZnO supported on MCM-41 behaves much higher activity than that on gamma-Al2O3, beta-zeolite and SiO2. Changing the loading of ZnO on MCM-41 can adjust the depth of hydrogenation of MB, and high loading of ZnO is available for the hydrogenolysis of MB to benzene. XRD, FT-IR and N-2 absorption were used to reveal that zinc oxide incorporated into the pore channels of MCM-41 in single or double molecular ZnO layer. After supporting 10%ZnO on MCM-41 by HIP, the structure of MCM-41 is unchanged, its pore diameter decreases from 3.14 to 2.62 nm. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.