Sulfated　zirconia　(SZ)　and　its　modified　versions　attract　great　interest　in　recent　years,　because　of　their　promising　potential　in　n-alkane　isomerization.　The　oxidative　and　protonation　routes　are　active　and　interactional　in　n-alkane　activation　over　SZ　catalysts.　The　bimolecular　reaction　becomes　dominant　with　increasing　the　density　of　active　sites　on　SZ　surface　and　decreasing　the　carbon　chain　of　feed.　Pentane　and　hexane　are　mainly　isomerized　by　protonated　cyclopropane　mechanism,　while　which　is　thermodynamically　unflavored　for　n-butane　isomerization.　The　deactivation　of　SZ　catalysts　is　primarily　caused　by　the　loss　of　superacidity　and　oxidizing　ability,　resulted　from　the　structure　changes　of　sulfate　species.　Several　strategies　for　improving　the　activity　of　SZ　are　reviewed.　The　intrinsic　structure-reactivity　relationship　of　SZ　catalysts　in　alkane　isomerization　is　updated　to　illuminate　the　prerequisite　for　the　highly　active　catalysts　and　the　mechanism　of　active　sites　formation.　The　applications　of　Pt/SZ　in　fixed-bed　and　unmodified　SZ　in　circulating　fluidizing　bed　in　light　alkanes　isomerization　are　compared　with　the　conventional　technologies　based　on　the　chlorinated　alumina　catalysts.　Finally,　the　future　study　of　SZ　catalysts　is　outlooked　from　the　academic　investigations　to　the　industrial　applications.　©　2020　John　Wiley　&　Sons,　Ltd.