The reactions of ethanol on TiO2 and Au/TiO2 anatase catalysts

► The reactions of ethanol over TiO2 and Au/TiO2 catalysts is studied. ► Over TiO2 most reaction products desorbed in one single desorption domain at 660 K. ► Over Au/TiO2 the reaction products desorbed in two temperature domains at 600 and 660 K. ► The main reaction products were CH2CH2 over TiO2 and C6H6 over Au/TiO2. ► C6H6 was not formed from CH2CH2 but from the condensation of acetaldehyde.