Supported nickel catalysts with different supports (MgO, SiO2, Al2O3, MgAlO and SiAlO) were prepared by the co-precipitation method and dried in n-butanol. Nickel was found to be relatively easier to reduce in Ni/MgO and Ni/SiO2 than in Ni/Al2O3, while nickel was higher dispersed in Ni/SiO2 than in Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/MgO. Thus, the reducibility and dispersion of nickel in Ni/MgAlO and Ni/SiAlO were significantly enhanced, leading to the high active nickel surface areas (75 m(2)/g-catalyst). Acetonitrile was found to be adsorbed on the reduced nickel and acidic sites. The strong surface basicity of Ni/MgO was found to favor the selectivity to the primary amine, but inhibited the conversion of lauronitrile. On the other hand, the conversion of lauronitrile was high over the Ni/SiO2. Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/SiAlO with strong surface acidity, but the selectivity to the prime amine was relatively low. The Ni/MgAlO with intermediate strengths of surface acidity and basicity exhibited the high conversion of lauronitrile and high selectivity to the prime amine. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.