The methanol adsorption-oxidation over V,05 (transient study) was monitored by mass spectrometry (MS) of desorbed molecules produced over the catalyst by reactive interaction at 40, 100 and 150degreesC. Then, temperature programmed desorption (TPD) tests were conducted to analyze the products again by MS. Conclusions drawn from study were that methanol molecules replace some of the water molecules adsorbed onto the V2O2, interact with those exhibiting higher adsorption energy and may suggest that methanol is linked to the solid through water molecules. By TPD, only the following products were identified: different amounts of water, formaldehyde, CO and, at low temperature, methanol. For those temperatures. V2O2 shows only redox properties since neither condensation products nor CO2 were encountered. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.