CO hydrogenation over a CeNi2, an amorphous CeNi2Hx and a disproportionate mixture containing Ce hydride and CeNi5 which were prepared by hydrogen absorption, has been investigated. Catalytic properties are different among the three samples since the bulk structure of the samples changes during the reaction. Nevertheless, the amorphous CeNi2Hx exhibits high activity as well as unique selectivity of hydrocarbons. This study shows that hydrogen-induced amorphization (HIA) is a potential activation treatment for intermetallic compounds for catalysts. (C) 2010 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.