Isolated and uniform V 5+ -oxo species were grafted onto H-ZSM5 at V/Al f ratios of 0.2-1 via sublimation of VOCl 3 precursors. These methods avoid the restricted diffusion of solvated oligomers in aqueous exchange, which leads to poorly dispersed V 2 O 5 at external zeolite surfaces. Sublimation methods led to stable and active V-ZSM5 catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reactions; they led to an order of magnitude increase in primary C 2 H 6 ODH rates compared with impregnated ZSM5 catalysts at similar V/Al f ratios and showed similar activity to impregnated VO x /Al 2 O 3 . The structure of grafted V 5+ -oxo species was probed using spectroscopic and titration methods. Infrared spectra in the OH region and isotopic exchange of D 2 with residual OH groups showed that exposure to VOCl 3(g) at 473 K led to stoichiometric replacement of H + by each (VOCl 2 ) + species. Raman spectra supported by Density Functional Theory electronic structure and frequency calculations showed that, at V/Al f < 0.5, hydrolysis and subsequent dehydration led to the predominant formation of (VO 2 ) + species coordinated to one Al site with single-site catalytic behavior (0.7-0.9 × 10 -3 mol C 2 H 4 V -1 s -1 , 673 K). At higher V/Al f ratios, simulation of extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectra indicated that V 2 O 4 2+ dimers coexisted with VO 2 + monomers and led to an enhancement in ODH rates as a result of bridging V-O-V (1.3 × 10 -3 mol C 2 H 4 V -1 s -1 ). These V 5+ -oxo species form via initial reactions between VOCl 3(g) and OH groups to form HCl (g) , hydrolysis of grafted (VOCl 2 ) + to form HCl (g) and (VO(OH) 2 ) + , and intramolecular and intermolecular condensation to form monomers and dimers, respective with the concurrent evolution of H 2 O. Raman and X-ray spectroscopies did not detect crystalline V 2 O 5 at V/Al f ratios of 0.2-1, but V 2 O 5 crystals were apparent in samples prepared by impregnation or physical mixtures of V 2 O 5 /H-ZSM5. Framework Al atoms and zeolite crystal structures are maintained during VOCl 3 treatment and subsequent hydrolysis; 27 Al and 29 Si MAS NMR showed that these synthetic protocols removes <10% of the framework Al atoms (Al f ).