Three amphiphilic sulphonato-salen-chromium(III) complexes immobilized on MCM-41 were prepared for the solvent-free selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol with 30 % hydrogen peroxide. The immobilized complexes were effective catalysts and exhibited much higher catalytic performance than their corresponding homogeneous analogues and immobilized lipophilic complexes. Under the optimum reaction conditions, benzyl alcohol conversion could reach 60.3 % with 100 % of the selectivity to benzaldehyde. In addition, the catalysts could be recycled at least five times.