Iron and copper salen complexes have been simultaneously encapsulated in zeolite Y by using the flexible ligand method, as substantiated by infrared spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric and differential-thermal analyses and N-2 adsorption/ desorption experiments at - 196 degrees C. The prepared material showed much higher activity than the neat Cu(salen) and Fe(salen) or the Cu(salen)/Y and Fe(salen)/Y or their physical mixtures in the oxidation of cyclohexane with H2O2. The existence of a synergetic effect is the cause of this high activity. This synergetic effect may originate from the formation of dinuclear salen complexes and/or the interaction of adjacent partially coordinated Cu(salen) and Fe(salen) complex molecules through the lattice oxygen of the zeolitic host. This assumption is supported by extensive investigations of the catalytic performance of different types of catalysts as well as cyclic voltammetry and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. The optimum molar ratio of Cu2+ to Fe3+ in the prepared material is 1.93: 1. The reaction time and temperature strongly influenced the catalytic performance. Although this catalyst was not highly stable because of degradation of metal salen complexes in the presence of H2O2 aqueous solution, this work provides a new route for designing and preparing highly active "ship-in-a-bottle" materials. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.