In this work, the development of a highly active noble metal phosphide (NM X P Y)-based hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalyst with a high hydrogenating ability for heavy oils was studied. NM X P Y catalysts were obtained by reduction of Padded noble metals (NM-P, NM: Rh, Pd, Ru) supported on SiO 2. The order of activities for the hydrogenation of biphenyl was Rh-P > NiMoS > Pd-P > Ru-P. This order was almost the same as that of the catalytic activities for the HDS of dibenzothiophene. In the HDS of 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT), the HDS activity of the Rh-P catalyst increased with increasing reaction temperature, but the maximum HDS activity for the NiMoS catalyst was observed at 270 • C. The Rh-P catalyst yielded fully hydrogenated products with high selectivity compared with the NiMoS catalyst. Furthermore, XRD analysis of the spent Rh-P catalysts revealed that the Rh 2 P phase possessed high sulfur tolerance and resistance to sintering.