Metal vanadates as oxygen carriers for dehydrogenation

A method for forming alkenes, comprising:

• exposing an oxygen carrier comprising a metal vanadate to a feedstock comprising 1.0 wt % or more of a C3-C6 alkanes under oxidative dehydrogenation conditions comprising a temperature of 450° C. to 700° C. to convert at least a portion of the C3-C6 alkanes to C3-C6 alkenes and to reduce at least a portion of the metal vanadate to form a reduced oxygen carrier, the metal vanadate comprising a Group 2 metal, a first row transition metal from Group 3, 4, or 6-12, or a combination thereof;
• and
• oxidizing at least a portion of the reduced metal vanadate in the presence of an oxidizing gas to form a substantially oxidized oxygen carrier,
• wherein the oxygen carrier comprises 30 wt % or less of the metal oxide corresponding to the Group 2 metal, the first row transition metal from Group 3, 4, or 6-12, or the combination thereof, relative to a weight of the metal vanadate in the oxygen carrier material.