The tetracationic water soluble compound 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin, [H-2-TMPyP](4+), has been directly incorporated, during the hydrothermal synthesis, into the nanopores of two zeolites, namely X and Y, and the aluminophosphate VPI-5 framework. The resulting solids were characterised by a combination of X-ray powder diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis and W-Vis spectroscopy. The implications for the use of these and related porphyrins as structure directing agents are discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.