A highly loaded P-Ni/SiO2 catalyst with the high active nickel surface area was prepared by the co-precipitation method with an n-butanol drying process. Phosphorization of this catalyst with 10%PH3 in H-2 at 423 K resulted in a supported Ni2P catalyst P-Ni2P/SiO2. This catalyst showed the high surface area (152 m(2)/g) with highly and uniformly dispersed Ni2P nano-particles (similar to 4.2 nm). Thus, it possessed the high density of active sites of Ni2P as titrated by the adsorption of CO (263 mu mol/g). Accordingly, it exhibited excellent performance for the hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene, hydrodenitrogenation of quinoline and hydrogenation of tetralin in a model diesel. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.