BACKGROUND: The dry reforming of methane (DRM) process has received considerable attention for the production of syngas owing to its great environmental and economic benefits. LaNiO 3 and La 0.5 Sr 0.5 NiO 3 nanoparticles were synthesized with the coprecipitation procedure using distilled and magnetic distilled water, and examined as catalysts in DRM. RESULTS: The structure and morphology of the prepared nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and temperature-programmed reduction, desorption and hydrogenation techniques. The experimental results proved that the treated La 0.5 Ni 0.5 SrO 3 catalyst had better initial performance in DRM in comparison with the LaNiO 3 catalyst, due to its greater surface basicity. The orientation for deposition of carbon over the surface of the consumed catalysts was as follows: La 0.5 Sr 0.5 NiO 3 treated > La 0.5 Sr 0.5 NiO 3 non-treated > LaNiO 3 nontreated > LaNiO 3 treated. CONCLUSION: Among the synthesized catalysts, the treated La 0.5 Sr 0.5 NiO 3 sample exhibited higher initial DRM activity, due to its greater surface basicity. Also, the higher surface basicity of the strontium-substituted catalyst led to an increase in CO 2 desorption and coke deposition according to the Boudouard reaction.