Zeolites ZSM-5, ZSM-11, and ZSM-22 (n(si)/n(Al) = 20-1000) were applied as methanol-to-olefin conversion (MTO) catalysts and optimized for high propene selectivities at high methanol conversions, high weight hourly space velocities, and for long catalyst lifetimes. On zeolites ZSM-5 and ZSM-11 with optimized Bronsted acid site densities of 0.13 and 0.15 mmol/g, propene selectivities of 51 and 52%, respectively, at a reaction time of 25 h were reached. In contrast, zeolite ZSM-22 with an optimized acid site density of 0.30 mmol/g showed a maximum propene selectivity of 38% only and a significantly shorter lifetime. Under these conditions, no aromatics could be detected by in situ UV-vis spectroscopy and on-line GC. Thus, an optimized acid site density can suppress the aromatic-based reaction mechanisms by hindering intermolecular hydrogen transfer reactions. Therefore, the acid site optimization could be a promising way for tuning the product selectivity of MTO catalysts on significantly different pore systems. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.