Precious metal catalyst has a long history, and its industrial application can be traced back to11970s, when platinum was used as catalyst to produce sulfuric acid by contact method. 19 13, platinum mesh catalyst is used for ammonia oxidation to produce nitric acid; 1937 Ag/Al2O3 catalyst is used for the oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide; 1949, Pt/Al2O3 catalyst is used for petroleum reforming to produce high-quality gasoline; In 1959, PdCl2-CuCl2 catalyst is used to oxidize ethylene to acetaldehyde; By the end of 1960s, the rhodium complex catalyst for methanol carbonylation to acetic acid appeared again. Since 1970s, precious metal catalysts (mainly platinum, supplemented by palladium and rhodium) for automobile exhaust purification have been widely used, and soon developed into the most used precious metal catalysts. The English name of noble metal catalyst is precious metal catalyst, which is mainly a heterogeneous carrier catalyst with platinum group metal as the main component, including platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), osmium (Os) and various homogeneous catalysts composed of platinum group metal inorganic compounds or organometallic complexes. Platinum group metals are the most important catalyst materials because of their comprehensive excellent characteristics such as incomplete D electron orbital, easy adsorption of reactants on the surface, moderate strength, favorable formation of intermediate "active compounds", high catalytic activity, high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance. According to the main active metals of catalysts, platinum catalysts, palladium catalysts, rhodium catalysts and ruthenium catalysts are usually used. Because of its irreplaceable catalytic activity and selectivity, precious metal catalysts play an extremely important role in petroleum, chemical industry, medicine, pesticides, food, environmental protection, energy and electronics. Precious metals are excellent catalysts for hydrogenation reduction, oxidative dehydrogenation, catalytic reforming, hydrocracking, hydrodesulfurization, reductive amination, telomerization, coupling, disproportionation, ring expansion, cyclization, carbonylation, formylation, dechlorination and asymmetric synthesis in petroleum and chemical industries. In the field of environmental protection, precious metal catalysts are widely used in automobile exhaust purification, organic catalytic combustion, CO and NO oxidation and so on. In terms of new energy, precious metal catalyst is the most critical part of developing new fuel cells. Precious metal catalysts are used for gas purification and purification in electronic and chemical industries. Catalytic technology is one of the high and new technologies, and it can also produce huge economic and social benefits. 20%~30% of the gross national economy of developed countries comes directly from catalysts and catalytic reactions. More than 85% of the reactions in the production of chemical products are carried out under the action of catalysts. According to analysis, 70% rhodium, 40% platinum and 50% palladium are used in the preparation of catalysts in the world. It is believed that in the near future, precious metal catalysts will have more and more extensive application prospects in the research and development of new chemical fields.