Abstract: Four kinds of simple transition metal complexes were synthesized from tetraphenyl porphyrin and transition metal acetate, and were characterized with ultraviolet-visible light spectrometry and Fourier transform infra-red spectrometry. The absorption spectra of transition metal porphyrin complexes were determined. The study indicated that it was feasible to determine the valence state and position in the periodic table of the central ions in transition metal porphyrin complexes with UV-vis and FTIR. The catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane to ciylohexanol and cyclohexanone in air as probe reaction was performed without any solvent or promotor, and the influences of the amount of metal porphyrin, reaction temperature, reaction pressure and reaction time on the catalytic activity were investigated. It was found that manganese porphyrin had the highest activity and the conversion of cylcohexane reached a maximum of 15.37%, and the total selectivity of cyclohexnol and cylcohexanone was about 93.94%