A　kind　of　high　dispersed　gold　catalyst　supported　on　the　spinel　ZnCo2O4　nanosheets　was　readily　fabricated　by　a　facile　template-free　wet　chemical　method　for　CO　oxidation　in　H-2-rich　streams　at　room　temperature　under　visible　light　irradiation　or　not,　which　was　found　to　be　a　high　performance　catalyst.　As　verified　by　X-ray　powder　diffractometry　(XRD),　Raman　spectra,　N-2　adsorption-desorption,　scanning　electron　microscopy　(SEM),　transmission　electron　microscopy　(TEM),　diffuse　reflectance　spectroscopy　(DRS),　Xray　photoelectron　spectroscope　(XPS),　photoelectrochemical　measurement　and　photoluminescence　(PL)　spectra　results,　the　contribution　of　high　crystallinity,　the　enhanced　mass　and　charge　transport,　the　longer　lifetime　of　surface　electrons　as　well　as　the　optical　absorbance　properties　on　Au/ZnCo2O4　enabled　the　superior　CO　preferential　oxidation.　Notably,　electron　paramagnetic　resonance　(EPR)　and　CO　chemisorption　(TPD-MS)　results　indicate　that　visible　light　could　promote　the　adsorption　and　activation　of　both　CO　and　O-2　at　Au/ZnCo2O4　due　to　both　the　photo-response　of　Au　nanoparticles　and　the　photo-excitation　of　ZnCo2O4　band　gap　under　visible　light　irradiation.　This　study　indicates　that　Au/ZnCo2O4　may　be　highly　desirable　for　a　promising　photo-assisted　Au　catalyst.　(C)　2016　Elsevier　B.V.　All　rights　reserved.