The promotional effect of cationic gemini surfactants for the hydroformylation of 1-dodecene in the organic/aqueous biphasic catalytic system is reported. Cationic gemini surfactants with a flexible spacer (G(Eth), G(But) and G(Hex)) and rigid spacer (G(Xyl)) group were used in the reaction. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and solubilization of laurylbenzene in gemini surfactant solutions were determined. The influence of the concentration of gemini surfactants and the stirring rate on 1-dodecene hydroformylation were investigated. The reaction results showed that in the biphasic catalytic system the hydroformylation of 1-dodecene catalyzed by RhCl(CO)(TPPTS)2-TPPTS [TPPTS = tris(sodium-m-sulfonatophenyl) phosphine] in the presence of gemini surfactants occurred with higher turn over frequency (TOF) and higher regioselectivity toward linear aldehyde (L/B) than those obtained with the conventional monomeric surfactant CTAB. The phenomena could be attributed to the fact that the gemini surfactant has lower CMC and better surface tension reduction ability; moreover it could form more compact and spherocylindrical micelle in the solution. These properties would be favorable for the decrease in the phase transfer energy barrier, thereby greatly accelerating the reaction rate. Meanwhile, the more compact structure of the spherocylindrical micelle formed from gemini surfactant could construct a favorable microenvironment for the formation of linear aldehyde. The comparison of the acceleration effect of the three type surfactants (monomeric surfactant CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide), gemini surfactant G(Eth), G(But), G(Hex)), G(Xyl) as well as double chain surfactant DCMAB (di(cetylmethyl)ammonium bromide) indicated that the surfactant structure had an important effect on the reaction rate. Their promotion order is DCMAB> G(Eth)≈G(But)≈G(Hex)≈G(Xyl) > CTAB.