Molybdenum based oxidation catalysts

A catalyst, comprising a molybdenum compound of formula I, II, III, IV or V:

• VqMoAyOz I
• NiMoxByOz′ II
• VNiwMoxCy′Oz″ III
• CoNiwMoxDyOz′″ IV
• VNiwCorMoxEyOz″″ V
• wherein:
• q is a number from 0.1 to 10;
• r is a number from 0.1 to 10;
• w is a number from 0.1 to 10;
• x is a number from 0.1 to 10;
• y is a number from 0.1 to 10;
• y′ is a number from 0 to 10,
• A is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of cations of:
• Cr, Ce and Pb;
• B is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of cations of:
• Al and W,
• C is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of cations of:
• Fe, Zn, Al, Sb, Bi, W, Li, Ba, Nb and Sn;
• D is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of cations of:
• Ba, Mn, Al, Sb, Sn, and W;
• E is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of cations of:
• Fe, Ca, Mn, Sr, Eu, La, Zr, Ga, Sn and Pb;
• and
• z, z′, z″, z′″, and z″″ are determined using the amounts and oxidation states of all cations present in each formula according to the following equations:
• z=((q times oxidation state of V)+(1 times oxidation state of Mo)+(y times oxidation state of A)) divided by 2 (oxidation state of oxygen);
• z′=((1 times oxidation state of Ni)+(x times oxidation state of Mo)+(y times oxidation state of B)) divided by 2 (oxidation state of oxygen);
• z″=((1 times oxidation state of V)+(w times the oxidation state of Ni)+(x times oxidation state of Mo)+(y′ times oxidation state of C)) divided by 2 (oxidation state of oxygen);
• z′″=((1 times oxidation state of Co)+(w times the oxidation state of Ni)+(x times oxidation state of Mo)+(y′ times oxidation state of D)) divided by 2 (oxidation state of oxygen);
• and
• z″″=((1 times oxidation state of V)+(w times the oxidation state of Ni)+(r times the oxidation state of Co)+(x times oxidation state of Mo)+(y′ times oxidation state of E)) divided by 2 (oxidation state of oxygen).