The methane dry reforming (DRM) simultaneously converts the two greenhouse gases and produces syngas (CO + H-2), which is being significant for both environmental and industrial consideration. Employing well-defined crystal oxides as precursors can produce Ni-based DRM catalysts with good sintering and coking resistance by enhancing the metal support interactions. Adding basic promoters also is considered as an effective way to improve the coking resistance of DRM catalysts, although challenge remains in the control over the structure, morphology and interaction of the promoter in the catalyst. To well combine the two methods together for better catalytic performance, in this work a Ni/MgOSiO2 catalyst was synthesized through a facile one-pot hydrothermal process, during which Ni-phyllosilicate formed as the precursor of Ni particles and MgO promoter was generated in form of Mg-phyllosilicate. This Ni/MgO-SiO2 had a hierarchical hollow sphere structure with large surface area (477.4 m(2)/g). Both the Ni particles (avg. 6.0 nm) and MgO promoter uniformly distributed. This hollow hierarchical catalyst performed high activity, thermal stability and coking resistance for catalytic dry reforming of methane. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.