Irradiation of 4-methoxystyrene (1) in zeolite NaY under vacuum, dry oxygen, and wet air yielded dimers and oxygenation products dependent on the atmosphere and co-adsorbed water. Head-to-head cis- and trans-cyclobutane dimers of 1 were produced at the isomer ratio of 91/9 under vacuum through excimer of 1 and 38/62 under wet air through cation radical of 1, respectively. However, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde was a primary product under dry oxygen at the expense of production of the dimers (c/t = 81/19), These results show significant differences in the photochemical behavior of 1 in solution and in NaY. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.