Ni@C nanocatalysts for the highly efficient hydrogenation of maleic anhydride to γ-butyrolactone

•By tuning the pyrolysis temperature, a Ni/NiO heterogeneous interface is generated, which exhibit synergistic effect in the process of maleic anhydride hydrogenation.•Design and synthesis a robust carbon-coated Ni nanocatalyst with Ni/NiO heterojunctions.•Ni@C catalyst efficiently convert maleic anhydride to γ-butyrolactone under mild conditions.•A high γ-butyrolactone yield of 99.89 % was obtained at 200 °C in 8 h reaction time.