It has been previously shown that passing Mn₂(CO)₁₀ vapour over MCM-41 mesoporous silica at 50 °C followed by heat treatment in air resulted in a material with high catalytic activity for propene oxidation. EXAFS studies of the Mn₂(CO)₁₀ precursor, MCM-41 treated with Mn₂(CO)₁₀ before and after the calcination in air have therefore been carried out and the results are presented in this paper. Upon immobilisation of the Mn₂(CO)₁₀ , the EXAFS data indicate four Mn–(CO) groups with a Mn–Mn interaction at 3.112 Å; new interactions such as Mn–O (at the much shorter distance of 1.705 Å) and Mn–Si (via Mn–O–Si) at a distance of 3.529 Å are evident. This clearly suggests that the Mn species anchor onto the surface of MCM-41 forming Mn–O–Si bonds, presumably through the reaction of surface silanol and Mn carbonyl species. After heat treatment in air, the EXAFS data indicate further loss of carbonyl groups with the formation of more Mn–O interactions (three Mn–O at 1.900 Å and one Mn–O at 1.747 Å). The best fitted model for the surface Mn–oxo species has a structure resembling Mn₂O₇ . With reference to this structure, an active site in the Mn–modified MCM-41 for propene oxidation is therefore proposed.