H3PMo12O40 catalyst was chemically immobilized on the surface modified CMK-3 (SM-CMK-3) support as a charge compensating component, by taking advantage of the overall negative charge of [PMo12O40](3-). The supported H3PMo12O40/SM-CMK-3 catalyst was characterized to have high surface area (approximate to 1000 m(2)/g) and relatively large pore volume (0.83 cm(3)/g). The H3PMo12O40/SM-CMK-3 catalyst was applied to the vapor-phase 2-propanol conversion reaction. The H3PMo12O40/SM-CMK-3 catalyst exhibited higher 2-propanol conversion than the unsupported H3PMo12O40 and the impregnated H3PMo12O40 on CMK-3. Furthermore, the PMo12/SM-CMK-3 catalyst showed the enhanced oxidation activity (acetone formation) and the suppressed acid catalytic activity (propylene formation) compared to the other two catalysts. It is believed that [PMo12O40](3-) Species were chemically and finely immobilized on the SM-CMK-3 support as charge matching species, and thus, the PMo12/SM-CMK-3 catalyst showed an excellent oxidation activity. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.