Precious metal catalyst is a type of precious metal material that can alter the rate of a chemical reaction without participating in the final product of the reaction itself. Almost all precious metals can be used as catalysts, but platinum, palladium, rhodium, silver, and ruthenium are commonly used, with platinum and rhodium being the most widely used. Their d-electron orbitals are not fully filled, making their surfaces prone to adsorbing reactants with moderate strength, which is conducive to the formation of intermediate “active compounds” and high catalytic activity. At the same time, they also possess comprehensive excellent properties such as high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance, and corrosion resistance, making them the most important catalyst materials.

Precious metal catalysts are highly valued for their excellent activity, selectivity, and stability, and are widely used in reactions such as hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, oxidation, reduction, isomerization, aromatization, cracking, and synthesis. They play a crucial role in various fields such as chemical engineering, petroleum refining, petrochemistry, medicine, environmental protection, and new energy.