*2.2. Catalyst Characterization*

The prepared catalysts were characterized by PXRD, ICP-AES, TGA, and N2 physisorption. PXRD measurements were performed using a Siemens D5000 diffractometer (Bragg–Brentano parafocusing geometry and vertical θ-θ goniometer) fitted with a curved graphite diffracted-beam monochromator, incident, and diffracted-beam Soller slits, a 0.06◦ receiving slit, and a scintillation counter as a detector. The angular 2θ diffraction range was between 5 and 70◦. The data were collected with an angular step of 0.05◦ at 3 s per step and sample rotation. A low background Si (510) wafer was used as a sample holder. CuKα radiation was obtained from a copper X-ray tube operating at 40 kV and 30 mA.

ICP-AES analyses were performed on samples obtained by dissolving the solids in concentrated HNO3, and digesting the resulting solution in an Ethos Easy (Milestone, Sorisole, Italy) MW digester. These samples were then analyzed by a 160 charge coupled device (CCD) (Arcos, Spectro, Kleve, Germany) spectrometer to obtain the content of Na, Mg, and Al.

TGA-DSC was performed using a SENSYS evo TG-DSC (S60/58129, Setaram Instrumentation, Caluire-et-Cuire, France). All analyses started with a conditioning step (5 min at 30 ◦C), after which the chamber was heated to 800 ◦C at a constant heating rate of 10 ◦C/min. This temperature was kept for 5 min, and then the chamber was left to cool for 25 min. The analyses were conducted under Ar at a flow of 30 standard cubic centimeters.

N2 physisorption was performed on solids outgassed at 120 ◦C for 5 h under vacuum (6 mTorr) in the instrument pre-chamber (FloVac Degasser, Quantachrome Instruments, Boynton Beach, FL, USA) to remove the adsorbed species from the samples. The N2 physisorption analysis was performed at 77 K using a Quadrasorb *SI* Models 4.0 with QuadraWin Software (Quantachrome Instruments, v. 5.0 + newer).
