Hydrotalcite precursors, and subsequently mixed oxide catalysts, with different loadings of vanadium were studied. A modified method of preparation at fixed pH but various amounts of the decavanadate anions below the stoichiometric value, was applied. Different vanadate species as well as carbonates were identified according to XRD patterns and FrIR spectra. The increasing content of vanadium resulted in change of the catalysts properties such as basicity (lower at high V loadings), pore size distribution (pronounced sintering for the highly loaded samples) and the catalytic activity. The highest specific activities were observed for the catalysts with high V content and decreased with decreasing transition metal loading, while the products distribution was more complex, depending both on the basicity and V content. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.