Copper (11) phthalocyanine (CuPc) molecules encapsulated into zeolite-Y with Si/Al ratios of 2.7 and 410 were prepared by an in situ synthesis and characterized by UV-Vis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. Resolved Cu-hyperfine and N-superhyperfine structures were observed in the EPR spectrum of CuPc encapsulated into zeolite-Y with a high Si/Al ratio. UV-Vis and EPR studies as well as theoretical calculations suggest that the encapsulated CuPc molecule was distorted in zeolite-Y with keeping of the square-planar symmetry around the center copper (II) ion. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.