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• The mesoporous iron oxide was successfully synthesized by using the waste wood powder as a template. • The alkali concentration had an effect on the physicochemical properties and performance of the synthesized iron oxides. • The iron oxide catalyst with larger surface area and pore volume exhibited higher yield of gasoline and diesel distillates. • The perfect performance of mesoporous iron oxide catalyst is ascribed to the presence of more exposure Fe active sites. In order to develop a high-efficiency iron oxide catalyst for the slurry-phase hydrocracking of poor heavy oil, the mesoporous iron oxide was successfully synthesized by using the waste wood powder as a template, and the influence of alkali concentration in the resulting solution on crystal phase, morphology and pore structure of the synthesized samples was investigated. The crystal phase of the synthesized iron oxide transfers from α-Fe 2 O 3 to γ-Fe 2 O 3 , and their crystal sizes gradually decrease with an increase of alkali concentration based on the XRD and HRTEM results. Additionally, the iron oxide with mesoporous structure, larger surface area and pore volume is obtained at the higher concentration of alkali in solution confirmed by N 2 adsorption-desorption analysis. The assessment result of the iron oxide catalyst employed in the slurry-phase hydrocracking of vacuum residue (VR) illustrates that the yields of gasoline and diesel distillates obtained over Fe-O-B 20 , Fe-O-B 24 and Fe-O-B 30 catalysts are higher compared with those over Fe-O-B 2 and Fe-O-B 14 catalysts, it can be attributed that more exposure Fe active sites derived from their larger surface area and pore volume availably improve the catalyst hydrogenation activity, which can inhibit the over-cracking reaction of intermediate products and the condensation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in VR to enhance the yields of gasoline and diesel distillates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]