CuNi/Co composites with various Cu contents have been prepared by electroless deposition (ELD) of Cu on Co powers and characterized with ICP-OES, N 2 adsorption/desorption, XRD, SEM, TEM and XPS. Their catalytic performance was examined for the allylic oxidation of cyclohexene with oxygen under solventfree conditions. The phase structure of the Cu deposit in the composites is transformed from an amorphous phase to a crystalline phase with the increase in Cu content. The composition and microstructure of the Cu deposit in the composite significantly affect its catalytic activity for the oxidation of cyclohexene. CuNi-ELD/Co-5 composite with 6.0 wt% Cu content and amorphous Cu deposit showed the highest catalytic performance with a 46.3% conversion of cyclohexene and 88.1% total selectivity to 2-cyclohexene-1-ol (Cy-ol), 2-cyclohexene-1-one (Cy-one), 2-cyclohexene-1-hydroperoxide (Cy-HP) and cyclohexene oxide (Cy-oxide).