This study has been focused on the partial oxidation(POX) of n-octane over Rh-containing catalysts supported on alumina. The catalysts for this reaction were prepared by incipient wetness(IW) and co-gel(CG) methods, followed by the calcination at $900{circ}C$ or $1,200{circ}C$. When applied to the POX of n-octane carried out at $600{circ}C$ with C/O=3 and GHSV=3,450/h, the catalyst prepared by the CG method and calcined at $1,200{circ}C$ showed the best activity, yielding 42% syngas($H_2$+CO) with the $H_2$/CO ratio of $2{sim}2.4$. To enhance the activity and stability of catalysts, bimetallic catalysts were synthesized by the CG method. As a result, the performance of Rh-Ni/$Al_2O_3$ catalyst was superior to that of Rh/$Al_2O_3$ catalyst in terms of the catalyst stability, due to the retarding effect on the Rh-to-$Rh_2O_3$ transition by the addition of Ni. This result was confirmed by XRD, TEM, and TPR characterizations.