SAPO-34 possessing a unique microporous-mesoporous hierarchical pore structure (Meso-SAPO-34(MW)) with a reduced particle size was prepared using a microwave heating method and applied as a catalyst for methanol-to-olefin (MTO) conversion reaction. All synthesized SAPO-34 catalysts were characterized via XRD. N-2 adsorption isotherm and SEM. The Meso-SAPO-34(MW) demonstrated clearly improved MTO performance compared with those synthesized using the conventional SAPO-34 catalysts due to the catalyst deactivation alleviated by the introduced modifications in textural property. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.