Several　Cu/ZnO/Al2O3　catalysts　with　high　Cu　and　ZnO　contents　were　used　to　study　the　influence　of　solvent　polarity　on　the　dehydrogenation　and　dehydration　of　isoborneol.　The　employment　of　a　polar　solvent　enhanced　the　activity　for　the　main　dehydrogenation　reaction,　while　the　use　of　a　non-polar　solvent　favored　the　dehydration　side-reaction.　Different　techniques　were　employed　to　characterize　the　fresh,　treated,　and　spent　catalysts.　X-ray　powder　diffraction　(XRD)　showed　that　the　copper　was　in　metallic　form　and　zinc　in　oxide　form,　transmission　electron　microscope　(TEM)　showed　differences　in　catalyst　morphology　that　depended　on　the　polarity　of　the　solvent　used,　N2O　titration　gave　the　Cu　active　site　density,　and　temperature-programmed　desorption　of　NH3　(NH3-TPD)　provided　the　acidity　of　the　materials.　The　characterization　results　indicated　that　in　non-polar　solvents　the　copper　nanoparticles　were　sintered　and　this　may　have　been　due　to　the　enhanced　activity　of　adventitious　water　in　those　solvents　or　simply　because　of　interactions　between　the　solvents　and　the　copper　and　zinc　oxide　components.　The　sintering　resulted　in　a　decrease　in　the　number　of　active　sites　and　an　increase　in　acidic　sites,　which　enhanced　the　undesired　dehydration　reaction.　Based　on　the　results　of　inductively　coupled　plasma　(ICP)　and　TEM,　a　model　of　the　catalyst　was　proposed　to　illustrate　the　effect　of　solvent　polarity　on　the　dehydrogenation　of　isoborneol.　©　2018　Elsevier　B.V.