With a modified Pechini synthesis, mixed Ru x Ir 1À x O 2 is grown on rutile-TiO 2 with full control of the composition x, where the preformed TiO 2 particles serve as nucleation sites for the active component. Catalytic and kinetic data of the methane combustion over Ru x Ir 1À x O 2 @TiO 2 and unsupported Ru x Ir 1À x O 2 catalysts reveal that the least active catalyst is RuO 2 @TiO 2 (onset temperature: 270°C), while the most active catalyst is Ru 0.25 Ir 0.75 O 2 with an onset temperature below 220°C. Surprisingly, even Ru 0.75 Ir 0.25 O 2 @TiO 2 is remarkably active in methane combustion (onset temperature: 230°C), indicating that little iridium in the mixed Ru x Ir 1À x O 2 oxide component already improves the activity of the methane combustion considerably. We conclude that iridium in the mixed Ru x Ir 1À x O 2 oxide enables efficient methane activation, while ruthenium promotes the subsequent oxidation steps of the methyl group to produce CO 2 . Kinetic data provide a reaction order in O 2 of zero, while that of methane is close to one, indicating that the methane activation is rate limiting. The apparent activation energy varies among Ru x Ir 1À x O 2 from 110 (x = 0) to 80 kJ • mol À 1 (x = 1). This variation in the apparent activation energy may be explained by the variation in adsorption energy of oxygen. Under the given reaction conditions the catalyst's surface is saturated with adsorbed oxygen and only if oxygen desorbs, methane can be activated and the methyl group can be accommodated at the liberated surface metal sites.