Copper, manganese and iron phthalocyanines were found to be highly efficient catalysts for aziridination of olefins using [N-(p-tolylsulphonyl)imino] phenyliodinane, Chloramine-T and Bromamine-T as nitrene precursors. [N-(p-Tolylsulphonyl) imino] phenyliodinane was found to be better nitrene donor as compared to the Chloramine-T and Bromamine-T and aromatic substituted olefins were found to be more reactive as compared to the aliphatic alkenes under these conditions. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.