The synthesis and characterization of SBA-15 type mesoporous silica containing surfaces functionalized with aminopropyl and methyl groups (NH2&CH3-SBA-15) were reported. The Ni-B amorphous alloy deposited on such support showed higher activity and selectivity in liquid-phase hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) to p-chloroaniline (p-CAN) owing to the synergetic promotions from both the aminopropyl and methyl groups. The aminopropyl could greatly enhance the dispersion of Ni-B alloy particles via coordination with Ni2+ ions, leading to high activity. While, the methyl could enhance the surface hydrophobicity which facilitated the desorption of the target product p-CAN and thus inhibited its further dechlorination. Besides, the strong hydrophobicity also enhanced the B-content in the Ni-B alloys, which favored the activation and hydrogenation of the NO2-group in p-CNB molecule, leading to high selectivity. This work clearly reveals the importance of organization of different functional groups on the surface of heterogeneous catalysts. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.