Photochemical hydrogen production with the system containing triethanolamine, zinc tetraphenylporphyrin tetrasulfonate, methylviologen and hydrogenase in cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was investigated. The effective photoreduction of methylviologen and an effective hydrogen production with hydrogenase were accomplished in the presence of CTAB micellar system by optimizing the reaction condition. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.