A material and a method of making hydrothermally stable (catalytic) materials on the basis of theta-alumina support that is thermally and hydrothermally stable up to 1,150 C with metal, mixed metal-, metal-oxide nanoparticles dispersed upon it. Such materials did not lose significant amounts of their catalytic activity at temperature ranges for industrially relevant applications (including hydrocarbon oxidation, nitric oxide reduction, carbon monoxide oxidation) even after hydrothermal aging up to 1,150° C.