Highly dispersed MoO 3 on SiMCM-41 was applied to the dehydration of 2-butanol. MoO 3 /MCM-41 catalysts were prepared using a modified atomic layer deposition method. The structural characteristics of MoO 3 supported on SiMCM-41 were examined by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry, nitrogen adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The textural characteristics of SiMCM-41 were retained after loading with MoO 3 . Ammonia temperature-programmed desorption and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine showed that Lewis acid sites were formed on the MoO 3 /MCM-41 catalysts. Among the MoO 3 /MCM-41 catalysts, the MoO 3 (16.4 wt %)/MCM-41 catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity for butene synthesis from 2-butanol dehydration due to the largest number of acid sites.