Preparation of hydrothermally stable, basic, and highly active nano nickel catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation of N,N-dimethylformamide

•Ni/LaAlSiO was prepared by the sequential precipitation of NiAlSiO and NiLaO.•Ni/LaAlSiO was highly stable upon hydrothermal treatment at 423 K.•Surface acidity and basicity of Ni/LaAlSiO could be adjusted by NiLaO/NiAlSiO ratio.•Surface acidity and basicity affected dissociative adsorption of DMF and TMA.•Ni/LaAlSiO was highly active and selective for the hydrodeoxygenation of DMF to TMA.

Ni/LaAlSiO catalysts were prepared by the sequential precipitation of NiAlSiO and NiLaO. The addition of La increased the surface basicity, the dispersion of supported Ni, and the hydrothermal stability of the catalysts. The activity of hydrodeoxygenation of DMF (N,N-dimethylformamide) to TMA (trimethylamine) remained high on the Ni/LaAlSiO catalysts hydrothermally treated at 423 K. FTIR results showed that DMF and TMA adsorbed dissociatively onto Ni supported on the basic and acidic supports, respectively, which might be responsible for the decreased selectivity of TMA. By adjusting the NiLaO/NiAlSiO ratio, the Ni/LaAlSiO catalyst with proper surface acidity and basicity could be prepared, which exhibited high activity and selectivity for the hydrodeoxygenation of DMF to TMA.

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