Nanosized MnOx-MOy (M = Cu, V)-promoted sulfated yttria-stabilized zirconia-titania catalysts were synthesized and studied for propane activation and conversion. The catalysts are amorphous in general and the primary particle size of all the samples is ca. 10-30 nm. Elemental distributions are rather uniform throughout the catalysts. In a mixture of C3H8/He (v/v = 9.4/90.6) or C3H8/O-2/He (v/v/v = 12.5/6.3/81.2) and within the temperature range of 350-550 degrees C, two major types of reactions occurred on the catalysts. One is oxidation yielding propenal, propanone, propanal as well as propenoic and propanoic acids; the other is carbon-carbon bond formation generating products such as butadiene and cyclopentadiene.