MgO-V2O5/Al2O3 catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane are prepared by a consecutive or one-step impregnation of gamma-Al2O3 with V and/or Mg precursors. The formed gamma-Al2O3-supported surface Mg-V-O phases are characterized by XRD, Raman, UV-vis DR spectroscopy, H-2-TPR and zeta potential measurements. The synthetic approaches are shown to strongly affect the phase composition and catalyst surface structure, which determine the catalytic properties of the materials under consideration. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.