Mg-Al and cation-incorporated(containing Zn2+Ni2+Fe3+) hydrotalcites were synthesized and characterized. A detailed comparative analysis of structure and composition was made. Different cations influenced strongly textural parameters of hydrotalcites and the basicity of the obtained Mg-Al oxides after calcinations. With the cation incorporation, the distance of the brucite and the mount of CO32- as the compensating anion changed. Meanwhile the CO2-TPD was used to determine the basicity of the samples. The results showed that the basicity of the calcined hydrotalcites reduced. Finally, the activated hydrotalcite catalysts may efficiently replace homogeneous catalysts in Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction of the benzaldehyde and propanal. And it was noteworthy that the calcined cation-type (containing Zn2+, Fe3+) hydrotalcites as catalysts did not show significant activity, in agreement with their low basicity
