Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are toxic and contribute significantly to the formation of the photochemical smog, which has remarkable impact to the air quality; therefore, the research on the removal of VOCs has attracted increasing interests during the last decade. This review covers the recent developments in catalytic combustion of VOCs over non-noble metal catalysts including mixed metal oxide catalysts, perovskite catalysts and Au-containing catalysts. The effect of water vapor, coke formation and the effect of supports on the catalytic combustion process will be discussed. The concept of an adsorption/catalytic combustion dual functional system is introduced and several examples of such systems are evaluated. To develop efficient and cost effective VOC removal technologies, further research in catalytic combustion needs to develop novel non-noble metal catalysts and adsorbents, and improve the understanding of catalytic mechanisms involved. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.