TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: (A1) is present in a concentration of at least about 75 wt.% of (A). (A1) is ethanol. The catalyst comprises rhodium. The catalyst comprises rhodium metal and/or its oxide, and at least one additional metal (metal of Groups 2-14 of the periodic table; preferably cerium) or their combinations; where the metal is present in the form of an oxide. The catalyst comprises a support (metal monolith, metal foam, ceramic monolith, foam ceramic monolith, solid spheres, porous spheres, pellets, gauze, wires and/or plates). The feed gas further comprises water. The second portion of the stratified catalyst comprises cerium and/or cerium oxide. The second portion of the stratified catalyst comprises platinum and cerium; where the platinum and the cerium are each present in the stratified catalyst at 2.5 wt.%, based on total weight of the catalyst. Preferred Process: The process for the production of hydrogen comprises: providing a feed gas comprising at least one alcohol comprising at least 2 carbon atoms; providing a catalyst (having a backface); and contacting the feed gas with the catalyst under conditions effective to produce hydrogen (where the backface of the catalyst is at a temperature of at least about 300degreesC after contact with the alcohol). The residence time of the feed gas over the catalyst is no greater than about 100 milliseconds. The catalyst is a stratified catalyst that comprises at least one first portion comprising at least one metal of the Groups 2-14 of the periodic table and/or their oxides; and at least one second portion comprising at least one metal (palladium, platinum, rhodium, iridium, copper, cobalt, zinc, vanadium, silver, nickel, cerium, zirconium, yttrium or aluminum) and/or their oxides. (A1) is mixed with water. The process is carried out under autothermal conditions. The catalyst includes a backface, and the backface of the catalyst is at a temperature of at least about 300degreesC (preferably no greater than about 1400degreesC) after contact with the alcohol and oxygen-containing gas. The residence time of the alcohol and oxygen in contact with the catalyst is no greater than about 100 milliseconds. The alcohol and the oxygen-containing gas are at a temperature of at least about 130degreesC (preferably no greater than about 160degreesC) prior to contact with the catalyst. The process has a gas hourly space velocity of at least about 10000 (preferably no greater than about 5000000) hour-1. The feed gas is supplied at a temperature of no greater than about 160degreesC prior to contact with the catalyst. The overall process takes place under autothermal conditions.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: (A1) is present in a concentration of at least about 75 wt.% of (A). (A1) is ethanol. The catalyst comprises rhodium. The catalyst comprises rhodium metal and/or its oxide, and at least one additional metal (metal of Groups 2-14 of the periodic table; preferably cerium) or their combinations; where the metal is present in the form of an oxide. The catalyst comprises a support (metal monolith, metal foam, ceramic monolith, foam ceramic monolith, solid spheres, porous spheres, pellets, gauze, wires and/or plates). The feed gas further comprises water. The second portion of the stratified catalyst comprises cerium and/or cerium oxide. The second portion of the stratified catalyst comprises platinum and cerium; where the platinum and the cerium are each present in the stratified catalyst at 2.5 wt.%, based on total weight of the catalyst. Preferred Process: The process for the production of hydrogen comprises: providing a feed gas comprising at least one alcohol comprising at least 2 carbon atoms; providing a catalyst (having a backface); and contacting the feed gas with the catalyst under conditions effective to produce hydrogen (where the backface of the catalyst is at a temperature of at least about 300degreesC after contact with the alcohol). The residence time of the feed gas over the catalyst is no greater than about 100 milliseconds. The catalyst is a stratified catalyst that comprises at least one first portion comprising at least one metal of the Groups 2-14 of the periodic table and/or their oxides; and at least one second portion comprising at least one metal (palladium, platinum, rhodium, iridium, copper, cobalt, zinc, vanadium, silver, nickel, cerium, zirconium, yttrium or aluminum) and/or their oxides. (A1) is mixed with water. The process is carried out under autothermal conditions. The catalyst includes a backface, and the backface of the catalyst is at a temperature of at least about 300degreesC (preferably no greater than about 1400degreesC) after contact with the alcohol and oxygen-containing gas. The residence time of the alcohol and oxygen in contact with the catalyst is no greater than about 100 milliseconds. The alcohol and the oxygen-containing gas are at a temperature of at least about 130degreesC (preferably no greater than about 160degreesC) prior to contact with the catalyst. The process has a gas hourly space velocity of at least about 10000 (preferably no greater than about 5000000) hour-1. The feed gas is supplied at a temperature of no greater than about 160degreesC prior to contact with the catalyst. The overall process takes place under autothermal conditions. EXAMPLE - The catalyst (that included rhodium and cerium at 2.5 wt.%, based on total weight of catalyst and support, deposited on an alumina monolith) was deposited using a mixture of rhodium nitrate solution (0.435 g) and cerium nitrate (0.370 g) with deionized water (20 ml) and an alumina monolith (1.987 g). The backface temperature of the catalyst was about 682degreesC and the residence time of the feed gas on the catalyst was about 1.3 milliseconds. The conversion of ethanol to any other carbon containing product was 98.2%. The other carbon products in the gas stream were carbon-monoxide (34.8 mole percent), methane (1 mole percent), and carbon-di-oxide (5.4 mole percent). Hydrogen was present at 41.4 mole percent, and water was present at 2.3 mole percent.