Two F-doped MoS2/Al2O3 catalysts with the same compositions, textural properties, chemical states, and micromorphology, but with only one containing Bronsted (B) acid sites on an alumina surface were successfully prepared through a special strategy via altering the two procedures of the deposition of MoS3 nanoparticles onto the support and the impregnation of the support with an NH4F solution. Then the substantial effects of the support Bronsted acidity on hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) activity were studied using quinoline as the model reactant and a suggestion was given: that B acid sites interact with the neighboring active phases by the induction effect and the resulting electron-deficient state not only promotes the formation of coordinatively unsaturated sites (CUS) and thereby increases the hydrogenation activity, but also enhances the acidity of-SH sites and thereby improves the hydrogenolysis activity. This fundamental research implies that modifying the active phases by electronic effects from the generated B acid sites should be an effective strategy for enhancing the hydrotreating activity. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.