New reactions, catalytic ethanol reductive dehydration into alkanes C-3-C-10 and cross-coupling of ethanol with cyclopentanol into alkyl substituted cycloalkanes, were studied. The reductive dehydration of ethanol was carried out at 350 degrees C and 50 atm of Ar. The intermetallic hydrides with different hydrogen content, industrial Pt/gamma-Al2O3 and reduced molten promoted iron catalysts were used as catalysts. The yield of alkanes varies depending on acid/base additives. The conversion of ethanol and the yield of higher alkanes increase as the hydrogen content in the intermetallic material decreases. When MgO is used as additive ethanol converts mainly into iso-alkanes. The content of iso-alkanes in the C-5-C-10 fraction reaches 92%. The cross-coupling of ethanol with cyclopentanol over the catalytic compositions consisting of intermetallic hydride and Pt/gamma-Al2O3 and reduced molten promoted iron afforded cyclic alkyl substituted hydrocarbons.