The MoV(0.3)1Te(0.2)3Nb(0.24) mixed oxide (M) catalysts with different cerium amounts for propane ammoxidation to acrylonitrile were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The effect of cerium content on the physicochemical property of the M catalyst was investigated by low-temperature N-2 adsorption, XRD, XPS and H-2-TPR. The results show that the presence of cerium in the M catalyst can significantly enhance its catalytic performance for propane ammoxidation. 46% acrylonitrile yield can be obtained over the MCe0.05 catalyst with Ce/Mo = 0.05 (mol) at SV of 1200 mL/(h.g), in which there are most optimal surface compositions, such as more M1 and M2 active phases, and higher Te4+ concentration and appropriate V content. The presence of Ce3+/Ce4+ pairs promotes the redox capability of the M catalyst and more reasonable atom distribution on the catalyst surface. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.