Platinum supported on different oxides is an effective catalyst for the benzyl alcohol oxidation, but the type of support material affects the overall catalytic performance. Here, the performance of dispersed platinum nanoparticles in range of 2.5-4.6 nm supported on reducible oxides (TiO2 (P25), CeO2, MoO3 and gamma-Fe2O3) and an irreducible oxide(gamma-Fe2O3) is investigated for the application of benzyl alcohol oxidation catalysts in the presence of liquid water. The difference in the performance is attributed to the ability of the support to accept hydrogen from benzyl alcohol adsorbed on platinum and the ability to remove surface hydroxyl groups in the form of water. [GRAPHICS] .