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A Ni 1 Co 1 O x catalyst with lattice distortions was prepared by a modified hard template method. Elemental analysis shows that Ni tends predominantly to disperse on the surfaces of the nanoparticles. Under the optimum reaction conditions (80 °C, 20 h, and 1.5 g NaOH), Ni 1 Co 1 O x catalyst could exhibit optimum catalytic performance (78.5% conversion, 66.5% GLYA selectivity, and recycling for four times). • A lattice-distorted Ni 1 Co 1 O x catalyst was synthesized by a modified hard template method. • High selectivity toward glyceric acid was obtained on the Ni 1 Co 1 O x catalyst. • Electron transfer from Ni cations to Co cations results in the generation of surface oxygen vacancies. • The oxygen vacancies of Co and Ni species promote the oxidation of glycerol to glyceric acid. Developing cheap and highly efficient catalysts for the selective oxidation of glycerol to value-added carboxylic acids still remains a challenge. Here, non-noble-metal Ni–Co oxide catalysts with lattice distortions are reported for the first time as highly efficient and stable catalysts for the oxidation of glycerol to glyceric acid. The Ni 1 Co 1 O x catalyst, prepared by a modified hard template method, exhibits superior activity (1.5 × 10−3 s−1), excellent glyceric acid selectivity (66.5%), and good stability under mild conditions (80 °C, 1 MPa O 2). Multiple characterizations demonstrated that the nanosized Ni 1 Co 1 O x catalyst (2.3 nm) contains lattice distortion Ni–Co structures with nickel-rich surfaces. This morphology induces electron transfer from Co cations (mainly Co3+) to Ni cations (mainly Ni3+), resulting in the generation of surface oxygen vacancies. Density functional theory calculations and catalytic kinetics demonstrated that oxygen vacancies on Co species could improve glyceric acid selectivity by preventing the cleavage of C C bond, and oxygen vacancies on the Ni species could promote the activation of C H bonds, which results in the exceptional catalytic performance of Ni 1 Co 1 O x. The novel Ni–Co oxide catalyst with lattice distortions synthesized here may provide some guidance for the rational design of inexpensive and highly efficient catalysts for the catalytic oxidation of biopolyols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]