Styrene hydrogenation over Ni–La/Al2O3 catalysts: The impact of added La on active metal dispersion

[Display omitted] •An appropriate amount of La promotes the formation of uniform Ni–La/Al2O3 nanocatalysts with a high Ni dispersion.•Better reducibility and reduced NiAl2O4 phase increases the utilization of Ni active sites.•High catalytic activity and selectivity were obtained on the Ni–La/Al2O3 catalysts over styrene hydrogenation. La–doped Ni/Al2O3 catalysts were synthesised with a modified wetness impregnation method. The addition of La promoted the reduction of Ni oxides and improved the dispersion. High catalytic activity and selectivity were obtained in the selective hydrogenation of styrene using these catalysts. The catalyst with a La content of 0.5 wt% (Ni–La/Al2O3-0.5) exhibited the highest styrene conversion (100%) and selectivity (>99%).