A highly loaded and dispersed 60%Ni/SiO2 catalyst was phosphorized by triphenylphosphine (PPh3) in liquid phase for the preparation of highly loaded and dispersed Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts. It was found that without pre-reduction, the Ni/SiO2 was difficult to be phosphorized by PPh3, and large Ni2P particles were resulted at the high phosphidation temperatures (543-593 K). When the Ni/SiO2 was pre-reduced, the highly dispersed nano nickel particles formed were easily phosphorized by PPh3 at the lower temperatures (443-543 K). The resulted Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst phosphorized by PPh3 at 443 K possessed small and homogeneous Ni2P particles (similar to 6 nm) with the high Ni2P active site density (324 mu mol/g) as titrated by the adsorption of CO. It was significantly more active than the Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst phosphorized by PH3 in gas phase with the Ni2P active site density of 263 mu mol/g for the hydrodesulphurization of dibenzothiophene and hydrogenation of tetralin to decalin in a model diesel. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.