The　conversion　of　hemicellulosic　biomass　to　sugar　alcohols　commonly　applies　homogeneous　acids　and　noble　metals　as　catalysts,　which　is　neither　economical　nor　environmentally　friendly.　In　order　to　overcome　the　deficiencies　of　the　reports,　a　series　of　non-precious　catalysts　were　synthesized　through　the　co-precipitation　method　and　incipient　wetness　impregnation　(IWI)　method　in　converting　hemicellulosic　biomass,　i.e.,　hemicellulose　and　xylose　into　sugar　alcohols　(i.e.,　xylitol　and　arabitol).　Reaction　experiments　showed　that　the　Ni8.98Fe1　@　1.54SiO2　catalyst　prepared　by　the　IWI　method　has　excellent　catalytic　performance　for　converting　xylose　to　sugar　alcohols　in　the　neutral　aqueous　solution,　and　can　be　applied　to　the　direct　conversion　of　hemicellulose　as　well.　Specifically,　the　optimum　yield　of　xylitol　and　arabitol　could　obtain　99.48　mol%　and　26.01　mol%　for　xylose　as　the　substrate　and　88.16　mol%　and　20.55　mol%　for　hemicellulose　as　the　substrate,　respectively.　Characterization　techniques　such　as　X-ray　diffraction　(XRD),　N2　adsorption-desorption　isotherm,　transmission　electron　microscopy　(TEM),　scanning　electron　microscope　(SEM),　H2　temperature-programmed　reduction　(H2-TPR),　NH3　temperature-programmed　desorption　(NH3-TPD),　X-ray　photoelectron　spectroscopy　(XPS),　Fourier　transform　infrared　spectroscopy　of　pyridine　(Py-FTIR),　and　SQUID　vibrating　sample　magnetometry　(SQUID　-VSM)　were　performed　to　study　physicochemical　properties　of　the　catalyst.　N2　adsorption-desorption　isotherm　and　NH3-TPD　characterizations　indicated　that　the　catalyst　with　mesoporous　properties　and　proper　acidic　sites　is　vital　for　hydrolyzing　hemicellulose　to　pentose　(i.e.,　xylose　and　arabinose).　TEM,　H2-TPR,　and　XPS　techniques　revealed　that　the　(111)　plane　of　metallic　Ni　is　the　main　active　phase　for　the　hydrogenation　of　pentose　into　sugar　alcohols,　and　Fe2+　and　Fe3+　species　act　as　effective　promoters　to　enhance　the　pentose　hydrogenation.　Py-FTIR　characterization　and　reaction　conditions　indicated　that　the　appropriate　ratio　of　Brønsted　to　Lewis　acidic　sites　could　facilitate　the　conversion　of　xylose　to　arabitol.　The　reaction　mechanisms　for　converting　hemicellulosic　biomass　to　sugar　alcohols　were　proposed　based　on　the　systematic　study　of　reaction　conditions　and　characterizations.　N2　adsorption-desorption,　H2-TPR,　and　XPS　indicated　that　the　catalyst　with　strong　metal-support　interaction,　large　specific　surface　area　and　pore　volume　could　be　beneficial　for　catalytic　stability,　which　is　verified　in　leaching　and　reusability　tests.　The　catalyst　has　superparamagnetic,　which　can　be　quickly　separated　from　the　reaction　system　under　the　external　magnetic　field,　facilitating　the　recovery　and　utilization　of　the　catalyst.　©　2023　Elsevier　B.V.