Abstract: The effect of pre-eatalyst homogeneous reaction on the selective oxidation of propane over Bi-V-Mo-O catalyst in a glass reactor has been investigated.It was found that a majority of propane molecules is activated in the homogeneous reaction stage through radical Chain mechanism and the homogeneous reaction may influence the final product distribution.The catalytic reaction would not take place unless there is a homogeneous reaction which aims at activating propane.The results show that it is the propene,the reactive intermediate of homogeneous reaction,that will be further oxidized to produce acrolein in the presence of catalyst.The catalytic reaction of propane is a combination of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions.

Key words: propane, bismuth vanadomolybdate, homogeneous reaction, propene, acrolein