In this work, boehmite-supported iron tetraphenylporphyrins with p-substituted nitro and methoxyl groups on the phenyl ring were prepared and characterized by UV-vis, FT-IR and XRD techniques. The catalytic activity and efficiency of the two supported catalysts for the aerobic oxidation of cyclohexane were investigated and compared. From the experimental evidence we conclude that the differences in the catalysis behavior should be mainly attributed to the effect of the different p-substituents on the redox potential, and the differences in the promotion of activity by the boehmite support. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.