Manganese (III) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl) porphyrin encapsulated into zeolite X, [Mn(TMPyP)-NaX], and zeolite Y. [Mn(TMPyP)-NaY] was synthesized through the zeolite synthesis method, in which NaX and NaY zeolites were synthesized around one cationic Mn porphyrin. The syntheses yielded pure MnP-NaX and MnP-NaY catalysts without any by-products blocking the zeolite nanopores. These heterogenized catalysts were characterized by FT-IR, UV-vis spectroscopic techniques, X-ray diffraction (XRD), neutron activation analysis (NAA) and thermal analysis. These catalysts were used for efficient and selective alkene epoxidation with NalO(4) under mechanical stirring and under ultrasonic irradiation. These catalysts were also used for epoxidation of linear alkenes and good shape selectivity was observed. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.