A series of catalysts made of tungsten oxide loaded on SiO2, gamma-Al2O3, SiO2-Al2O3 and silica deposited gamma-alumina are tested for 1-butene metathesis. Among these catalysts, the catalyst 6W/20SiO(2)/Al2O3 gives the highest activity for 1-butene metathesis reaction with 1-butene conversion up to 71 mol% and the yield of propene up to 21 mol%. The excellent catalytic activity is related to the moderate dispersion of tungsten oxide and the suitable acidity of the support. The dispersion of WO species and the acidity of supports were studied by characterization of XRD, Raman spectra, UV-vis, H-2-TPR and NH3-TPD in detail. The surface properties of silica modified gamma-alumina leads to the moderate aggregation of supported tungsten oxide, which appears to be more effective for gamma-butene metathesis at the low temperature of 453K. Optimized activity was realized by tuning the dispersion of tungsten species on silica deposited alumina. (C) 2012 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.