Y　zeolite　containing　well-dispersed　iron　(Fe/Y-G)　was　prepared　by　grafting　reaction　of　the　ferrocene　molecule　(Cp2Fe)　on　the　acidic　sites　of　HY　zeolite　followed　by　thermal　treatment　in　oxygen.　In　situ　FTIR　and　chemical　analysis　revealed　that　Cp2Fe　molecule　adsorbed　on　the　zeolite　surface　lost　one　cyclopentadienyl　group　leading　under　vacuum　at　423　K　to　the　formation　of　a　surface　iron-cyclopentadienyl　complex.　Fe/Y-G　was　then　obtained　by　calcination　at　773　K　in　flowing　oxygen.　This　solid　was　characterized　by　XPS,　XAFS,　CO　adsorption　FTIR,　UV-vis　DRS,　and　catalytic　oxidation　reaction　of　CO　with　oxygen.　The　characteristic　oxygen-to-metal　charge-transfer　transition　bands　at　ca.　215　nm　and　250　nm　showed　existence　of　Fe3+　of　Fe/Y-G　in　isolated　tetrahedral　sites.　Both　the　2P3/2　and　2P1/2　electron　binding　energies　of　iron　and　the　Fe　K　edge　energy　were　higher　than　those　of　Fe2O3,　suggesting　that　the　iron　ions　contained　in　Fe/Y-G　were　highly　dispersed　and　had　higher　spin-orbital　splitting,　due　to　the　hybridization　of　iron　4p　atomic　orbitals　with　partly　3d　molecular　orbitals.　The　Fe/Y-G　showed　only　one　ν(CO)　infrared　adsorption　band　at　2194　cm-1,　very　different　from　a　Fe/Y-I　sample　prepared　by　impregnation　with　FeCl3.　The　Fe/Y-G　zeolite　showed　a　higher　catalytic　activity　in　the　oxidation　of　carbon　monoxide　with　molecular　oxygen　than　the　Fe/Y-I　sample.　This　behavior　was　ascribed　to　the　special　coordination　geometry　and　electronic　structure　of　the　iron　atom　in　the　zeolite.　©　2007　Elsevier　Inc.　All　rights　reserved.