The focus of this study is to develop photooxidation in zeolites as an environmentally benign alternative to conventional liquid phase oxidation of industrially important chemicals. Here we demonstrate that photooxidation in zeolites is a general technique and, therefore, synthetic strategies can be developed using the shape-selective and chemical properties of different zeolites. The photooxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde and propylene to acrolein were explored in three different zeolites -X, Y and ZSM-5. Photooxidation of toluene and propylene in zeolites other than Y has not hitherto been previously reported.