Mild-temperature hydrodeoxygenation of vanillin over porous nitrogen-doped carbon black supported nickel nanoparticles

N-doped carbon black (NCB) supported Ni NPs exhibited higher activity than most Ni-based catalysts for selective HDO of vanillin at mild conditions, ascribing to higher reducibility, lower oxidation state of Ni NPs and enhanced spillover hydrogen of Ni to NCB.