Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to investigate carbonaceous compounds deposited on aluminosilicate mesoporous molecular sieves of the MCM-41 type during conversion of cyclohexene at various temperatures. The amount of the deposited coke grew with the increasing Al content of the catalysts and with the decreasing reaction temperature. The deposits caused a reduction in both the surface area and pore volume of the Al-MCM-41 materials. The measurements showed that the EPR lines were complex. The performed analysis revealed a hyperfine structure the envelope of which was of the Gaussian shape. It was found that the spin concentration increased and the peak-to-peak width (DeltaB(pp)) decreased with the increasing reaction temperature. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.. All rights reserved.