TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preparation (Claimed): Preparation of (I) comprises: forming a first aqueous solution of a complex or salt of the first metal, a complex or salt of the element for alloy formation, and a complex or salt of the promoter; forming a second aqueous solution comprising sodium carbonate and optionally urea; adding a support to the second aqueous solution, forming a slurry; mixing the first aqueous solution with the slurry, forming a second slurry; milling the slurry; drying the slurry to form a pre-catalyst; and calcining the pre-catalyst to form (I) Preferred Components: When the element for alloy formation is vanadium, then the promoter element is zirconium; when the element for alloy formation is tantalum, then the promoter element is zirconium; and when the element for alloy formation is gallium, then the promoter element is zirconium. (I) further comprises a second promoter element (preferably yttrium); and a third promoter element (preferably barium). When the second promoter element is barium, then the third promoter element is iron. (I) further comprises a support (preferably cerium oxide (CeO2)). EXAMPLE - A first solution containing palladium (Pd) and gallium (Ga) was prepared by adding palladium nitrate solution (11.844 g, 20.77 wt.% palladium), gallium nitrate hydrate (27.506 g), zirconium hydroxide (Zr(OH)4) (1.484 g) and yttrium nitrate hexahydrate (Y(NO3)3.6H2O) (8.952 g) in water (42 g) with stirring. A second solution was prepared by adding urea (7.5 g) and sodium carbonate (0.461 g) in water (30 g). The second solution was then mixed with cerium oxide (50 g) in a ball mill jar, resulting in dense slurry. The first solution was then brought into contact with the dense slurry. The resulting mixture was ball milled until 90% of the solid particles were less than 10 mu m in diameter. Subsequently, the slurry was dried at 120 degrees C for 2 hours and calcined in air at 550 degrees C for 4 hours to give the catalyst (PdGa-ZrY/CeO2).