The stability of trivalent M cations in CuMO2 delafossites is reviewed in terms of redox equilibrium. Whereas CuVO2 does not exist, a CuFe1-xVxO2 (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.67) solid solution was synthesized from metals and binary oxides. Mossbauer resonance unambiguously showed that iron and hence vanadium atoms are trivalent, which was not a priori expected. Of course, the vanadium concentration is limited, in agreement with the reasons explaining the inexistence Of CuVO2 in terms of a too strong reducing power of V3+. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.