Oxyfunctionalisation of toluene with activated t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) was studied in the liquid phase over Ti(IV) supported on NaY zeolite (Ti-NaY), silylated Ti-NaY (Sil-Ti-NaY), silica-supported titanium isopropoxide (Si-Ti((OPr)-Pr-i) and silylated silica-supported Ti((OPr)-Pr-i) {Sil-Si-Ti((OPr)-Pr-i)}at 30 and 80degreesC. Increase in temperature increased the TBHP conversion, and increase in the catalyst loading increased both conversion and high selectivity to benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol. Though Ti-NaY gave high selectivity to benzaldehyde at 30degreesC, the conversion was less. Silylated catalysts gave higher conversion than their parents, suggesting the importance of hydrophobicity for this reaction. The order of activity of the catalysts with respect to conversion at 30 and 80degreesC for 12 h of the title reaction is Sil-Si-Ti((OPr)-Pr-i) > Si-Ti-NaY>Si-Ti((OPr)-Pr-i) approximate to Ti-NaY (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.