This paper presents a series of applications of catalytic membrane reactors (CMR) to oxidation reactions. Four reactions were tested in our group. Alkane activation (C2, C3 and C4) or total oxidation (WAO) is implemented in various membrane reactor modes, using dense, microporous or mesoporous membranes. In some cases, a catalyst bed is associated with a membrane, whereas other applications use an intrinsically active membrane. Progresses in catalyst and membrane design, along with careful operational conditions led to overall higher performances when compared to conventional processes. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.