Effective and selective oxidation of 2-butanol over Mn supported catalyst systems

•A series of MnxOy-Al2O3 (MA), MnxOy-CeO2 (MC), MnxOy-ZrO2 (MZ) and MnxOy-SiO2 (MS) catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation followed by hydrothermal method.•Selective oxidation of 2-butanol to MEK over Mn supported on different oxide supports was studied.•Presence of Mn3O4 species in MA and MZ catalysts is responsible for maximum catalytic activity towards 2-butanol oxidation.•MA catalyst conferred a maximum 2-butanol conversion of 51% and selectivity of 88% towards MEK.