A Co-N on alumina catalyst yielded high performance in the oxidative cracking of n-butane to ethylene and propylene. A total of 47.7 wt.% yield of olefins including 31% of ethylene and 13% of propylene were obtained at 82% of n-butane conversion at 600 degrees C. Catalyst characterization by SEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), XRD and TPR studies suggested that a cobalt oxynitride phase was formed. This resulted in lowering the oxygen binding energy leading to enrichment in mobile, low energy, oxygen species that significantly accelerates the formation of lower olefins. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.