SAPO-11 molecular sieves were synthesized from aqueous and nonaqueous systems by using different alcoholic solvents and their physicochemical properties were compared. The SAPO-11 samples synthesized from alcoholic systems had larger external surface area, higher Si contents and higher acidity than those of the sample synthesized from the aqueous system. Thereby, loaded with 0.5 wt.% Pt, the resulting PdSAPO-11 catalysts synthesized from alcoholic systems exhibited higher catalytic activities and selectivity for n-dodecane hydroisomerization. Among the catalysts synthesized from alcoholic systems, the Pt/SAPO-11 catalyst synthesized from polybasic alcohol systems possessed the highest catalytic activities.