Mixed oxide powders belonging to the system CdMoxW1-xO4 have been prep
ared by a hydrothermal method. They have been characterized by the Rie
tveld analysis of their XRD patterns and by IR and Raman skeletal spec
troscopies. Virtually pure wolframite-type structures have been obtain
ed for x less than or equal to 0.25 and virtually pure scheelite-type
structures have been obtained for x greater than or equal to 0.75. The
vibrational spectra of both phases have been interpreted on the basis
of the correlation method. In both solid solutions the Raman peaks du
e to the stretching modes of ''terminal'' W,Mo-O bonds split, while th
e corresponding IR bands shift significantly. The effect of the nature
of tungsten coordination on the vibrational spectra is briefly discus
sed in relation to the use of vibrational spectroscopies to determine
the structure of the surface species in supported tungsten oxide catal
ysts.