TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Catalyst: Catalyst (C1) contains less than 1 mass% rare earth and alkaline earth metal oxides. Catalyst (C2) is stabilized with barium, strontium, lanthanum and/or neodymium oxides and has a surface area of at least 80 m2/g, especially 150-250 m2/g. EXAMPLE - A catalyst (C1) was prepared by mixing Al2O3 (61.94 g) with Pd(NO3)2 solution (27.72 g, 21.02% Pd) and water (16 g). The resulting wet powder was homogenized with Nd(NO3)3 solution (32.22 g, 29.7 %), La(NO3)3 solution (29.73 g, 27.1%) and zirconium acetate solution (25.18 g, 20%). Sr(NO3)2 crystals (10.28 g, 49%) and Ba(OH)2 crystals (9.44 g, 48%) were then mixed in followed by deionized water, glacial acetic acid (3.1 g) and octanol (0.19 g). The resulting composition (Pd loading = 200 g/ft3) was milled and used to coat a honeycomb (loading = 1.99 g/in3), which was dried at 120 degreesC for 1 hour and calcined at 500 degreesC for 1 hour.    A second catalyst (C2) was prepared by impregnating Al2O3 (surface area 160 m2/g, stabilized with 1 mass% BaO and 1 mass% La2O3) with Pd(NO3)2 solution (16.22 g, 20% Pd) and water (45 g). The wet impregnated powder was combined with water (80 g), acetic acid (3.87 g) and defoamer (0.29 g) and milled. Cerium oxide powder (35.64 g) was then added, and the mixture was further ball milled and used to coat a honeycomb (loading = 2 g/in3). The honeycomb was calcined at 500 degreesC for 1 hour.    A catalyst composite was then prepared by arranging (C2) in front of (C1).    The catalytic performance of the composite was assessed using a feed gas containing CO (7000 ppm), benzene (10 ppm), toluene (10 ppm), methane (250 ppm), O2 (3%), H2O (75%) and methyl bromide (30 ppm) at a test pace velocity of 10000 l/hr. The conversion of methyl bromide at 400 degreesC was 98% by the composite compared with 99% for (C1) alone and 97% for (C2) alone, and at 500 degreesC was still 98% for the composite but only 94% for (C1) alone and less than 92% for (C2) alone. The conversion of benzene at 400 degreesC was 96% by the composite compared with less than 72% for (C1) and 97% for (C2), and at 500 degreesC was over 99% for the composite, (C1) alone and for (C2) alone.