preparing a washcoat slurry comprising a catalytically effective amount of at least one catalytically active metal and an oxide support to form a catalytically active metal-oxide support;

disposing the washcoat slurry upon a catalyst substrate;

drying the washcoat slurry and catalyst substrate using microwave energy to affix the catalytically active metal to the oxide support and catalyst substrate; and

calcining the dried washcoated catalyst substrate, wherein

the at least one catalytically active metal is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, rhodium, palladium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, tantalum, zirconium, yttrium, cerium, nickel, copper, oxides thereof, alloys thereof and combinations thereof.