The synthesis of MCM-41 type mesoporous material has been performed by the solvent evaporation method. The chiral salen Co(III)(OAc) complexes are immobilized on a siliceous MCM-41 through the multi-step anchoring and applied as catalysts in the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of racemic epoxides to diols. The incorporation of salen complexes onto the mesoporous material is demonstrated by UV-Vis spectroscopy, and tested with the catalytic hydrolysis reaction. The chiral salen Co(III) complexes catalyze the hydrolysis of epichlorohydine, 1,2-epoxyhexane, epoxystyrene and epoxycyclohexane under very mild conditions. This reaction can proceed in acetonitrile and THF solvents. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.