To　deeply　understand　the　effects　of　support　properties　on　the　performance　of　Mo-based　slurry-phase　hydrocracking　catalysts,　four　Mo-based　catalysts　supported　on　amorphous　silica　alumina　(ASA),　g-Al2O3,　ultra-stable　Y　(USY)　zeolite　and　SiO2　were　prepared　by　the　incipient　wetness　impregnation　method,　respectively,　and　their　catalytic　performances　were　compared　in　the　vacuum　residue　(VR)　hydrocracking　process.　It　is　found　that　the　Mo/ASA　catalyst　exhibits　the　highest　VR　conversion　among　the　different　catalysts,　indicating　that　both　the　appropriate　amount　of　acid　sites,　especially　B　acid　sites　and　larger　mesoporous　volume　of　ASA　can　enhance　the　VR　hydrocracking　into　light　distillates.　Furthermore,　Mo　catalysts　supported　on　the　different　supports　show　quite　different　product　distributions　in　VR　hydro　-cracking.　The　Mo/ASA　catalyst　provides　higher　yields　of　naphtha　and　middle　distillates　and　lower　yields　of　gas　and　coke　compared　with　other　catalysts,　it　is　attributed　to　the　highest　MoS2　slab　dispersion,　the　highest　sulfuration　degree　of　Mo　species,　and　the　most　Mo　atoms　located　at　the　edge　sites　for　the　Mo/　ASA　catalyst,　as　observed　by　HRTEM　and　XPS　analyses.　These　features　of　Mo/ASA　are　beneficial　for　the　hydrogenation　of　intermediate　products　and　polycyclic　aromatic　hydrocarbons　to　restrict　the　gas　and　coke　formation.(c)　2023　The　Authors.　Publishing　services　by　Elsevier　B.V.　on　behalf　of　KeAi　Communications　Co.　Ltd.　This　is　an　open　access　article　under　the　CC　BY-NC-ND　license　(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/　4.0/).