zirconia zeolites silicon carbide mo carbide molecular sieves and other micro nonporous materials and mixtures thereof when used on a support the supported catalyst usually comprises from about 10 to 50 by weight of the catalyst composition with the remainder being the support material another aspect of the invention relates to methods of making the improved catalyst of the invention the choice of the compounds used as well as the specific procedures followed in preparing a catalyst can have a significant effect on the performance of a catalyst preferably the elements of the catalyst composition are in combination with oxygen as oxides according to one embodiment the catalyst is prepared from a solution of soluble compounds salts complexes or other compounds of each of the metals the solution is preferably an aqueous system having a ph of 1 to 10 more preferably a ph of 1 to 7 at a temperature of from about 30 u00b0 c to about 100 u00b0 c the water is removed by filtration the catalyst is then dried in an oven from 100 to 130 u00b0 c the dried catalyst is calcined by heating to a temperature from about 250 u00b0 c to about 600 u00b0 c in air or oxygen for a period of time from about one hour to about 16 hours to produce the desired catalyst composition preferably the molybdenum is introduced into the solution in the.