Alumina-supported molybdenum phosphide (MoP/gamma-Al2O3) with high surface area was successfully synthesized by combining sol-gel and temperature-programmed reduction (SG-TPR) method and was firstly used to study the hydrodechlorination (HDC) of trichloroethylene (TCE). The properties of the catalysts were evaluated by several different characterization techniques, such as Braunner-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results prove that a well-dispersed and high BET surface area catalyst can be obtained by SG-TPR method, which shows higher catalytic activity than those prepared by impregnation and mechanical mixing method for the HDC of TCE. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.