Selective heterogeneous oxidation of light alkanes. What differentiates alkane from alkene feedstocks?

Some aspects of the reactivity of vanadyl pyrophosphate catalysts in n-butane and n-pentane oxidn. and propane ammoxidn. are discussed to illustrate differences and peculiarities of the catalysts for the selective oxidn. of alkanes in comparison to the catalysts for the selective oxidn. of alkenes. [on SciFinder(R)]