With products that meet the highest quality standards, Heraeus ensures continuous production processes at its customers and thus strengthens their competitiveness. Profit from a broad portfolio of Precious Metal Catalysts on Carbon.
HeraSelect® - Precious Metal Catalysts on Activated Carbon
Catalysts to speed up your business in chemical and biochemical processes
More than 80 percent of all reactions in the chemical industry are carried out with the help of catalysts. The Heraeus HeraSelect® portfolio is particularly designed for the hydrogenation of organic intermediates in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), fine and agro chemicals, flavor and fragrances as well as in the production of chemicals from renewable feedstocks.
HeraSelect® Precious Metal Catalysts on Carbon - Product Portfolio
Type | PM Loading | Quotation |
---|---|---|
HeraSelect® HS-100 | 5% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-101 | 1% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-102 | 1.5% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-103 | 5% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-105 | 3% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-106 | 5% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-107 | 10% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-108 | 5% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-109 | 5% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-110 | 1% Platinum - 0,25% Iron | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-208 | 1% Platinum - 4% Palladium | Online available |
Type | PM Loading | Quotation |
---|---|---|
HeraSelect® HS-200 - wet | 5% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-200 - dry | 5% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-201 - wet | 5% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-201 - dry | 5% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-202 - wet | 5% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-202 - dry | 5% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-203 | 10% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-205 | 3% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-206 | 5% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-207 | 10% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-208 | 4% Palladium - 1% Platinum | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-209 | 5% Palladium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-210 | 5% Palladium | Online available |
Type |
PM Loading | Quotation |
---|---|---|
HeraSelect® HS-900 | 5% Ruthenium | Online available |
HeraSelect® HS-901 | 10% Ruthenium | Online available |
Impressive results can often be achieved with a standard catalyst product. Customer-specific solutions that go beyond a standard product require individualized catalyst optimization. In such cases, Heraeus works closely with its customers to develop tailor-made solutions. This involves testing and extensive characterization of the produced catalyst materials.
Activated Carbon as Catalyst Support

Its outstanding chemical and physical properties make activated carbon an ideal catalyst support. Carbon materials differ by origin (e.g. wood, peat, or coconut shell), as well as by pre-treatment method (e.g. steam activated, chemically activated, or for improved purity, acid-washed). The resulting surface chemical characteristics play an important role in the quality of the final catalyst.

HeraSelect® - Precious Metal Catalysts on activated carbon are available on different carbon shapes
- Powder
- Strands
- Pellets
- Granules
- (Micro-)Spheres
- Trilobes
- Others

- Wood
- Nutshell
- Peat
- Others
- High specific surface area (BET): 800 – 1500 m2/g
- Bulk density: 250 – 500 g/L
- Diverse pore structures
- Huge adsorption capacity
- Chemically stable under acidic conditions
- Good filterability
Pre-Treatment
- Chemically: Phosphoric acid activated
- Physically: Steam activated
Post-Treatment
- Acid washed
- Non-acid washed
Product Highlight: Polymer-Based Activated Carbon Microspheres
Polymer-based spherical activated carbon catalysts combine the advantages of a powder (very high BET surface area of approx. 1000 m²/g) with the positive properties of a stable bulk material (a high crushing strength). Carbon microsphere-based catalysts can be employed both in batch and continuous reactor operations.

- Up to 5 % precious metal loading (Pt or Pd)
- PM surface area: 0.4 – 2.5 m2/g up to 3 m2/g
- Different sizes between 200 – 600 μm
- Bulk density: approx. 600 g/L
- pV between 0.08 and 0.18
- High crushing strength
- BET surface area of approx. 1000 m2/g
- Catalyst pH between 5 – 6
Applications of HeraSelect® - PM/C Catalysts
Each chemical reaction has its own chemical and physical constraints. The experts of Heraeus will help you in identifying, optimizing and developing catalysts that are suited to your particular conditions.
PM/C materials can catalyze a vast range of chemical reactions. The most important reactions, as well as appropriate catalysts, are shown in the following table:
Nitro and Nitroso Compounds | Pt/C | Pd/C | Ru/C | Rh/C |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aromatic nitro compounds to anilines | • | • | ||
Halonitroaromatics to halogenated anilines | • | |||
Nitroso compounds to anilines | • | |||
Nitro compounds to hydroxylamines | • |
Carbonyl Compunds | Pt/C | Pd/C | Ru/C | Rh/C |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ketones/aldehydes to alkanes | • | |||
Ketones/aldehydes to alcohols | • | • | • |
Aromatics | Pt/C | Pd/C | Ru/C | Rh/C |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ring hydrogenation | • | • | • | |
Aromatic ketones to alicyclic alcohols | • | • | ||
Anilines to cyclohexanones | • | |||
Dehydrogenation | • |
C–C Multiple Bonds | Pt/C | Pd/C | Ru/C | Rh/C |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alkenes to alkanes | • | • | ||
Alkines to alkenes/alkanes | • | |||
α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds | • |
Nitriles | Pt/C | Pd/C | Ru/C | Rh/C |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nitriles to prim./sec./tert. amines | • | • | • | |
Aromatic nitriles to aldehydes | • |
Imines and Oximes | Pt/C | Pd/C | Ru/C | Rh/C |
---|---|---|---|---|
Imines to amines | • | • | ||
Oximes to amines | • |
Oxidation and Dehalogenation | Pt/C | Pd/C | Ru/C | Rh/C |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alcohols to aldehydes and ketones | • | • | ||
Dehalogenation X = Cl, Br, I | • |
Application Examples: Properties of HeraSelect® Pd/C Catalysts
Precious Metal Surface Area of Pd/C Catalysts

- Carbon monoxide adsorbs only on the PM and not on the carbon support
- The higher the PM surface area, the smaller are the PM particles on the carbon support
Influence of Pd Loading on Catalyst Activity

Linear dependence of catalyst activity on precious metal loading and surface area
Hydrogenation Activity of HeraSelect® Pd/C Catalysts

- High activity in the hydrogenation of crotonic acid (CA) and nitrobenzene (NB)
- Added Pt boosts the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene
- Catalysts‘ respective hydrogenation activities depend on the substrate and the reaction conditions
Sample Kit - Finding the Right Catalyst

Heraeus has already built up a large portfolio of proprietary catalysts, tailored for various challenging catalytic reactions. To identify the best catalyst for your specific process, Heraeus offers catalyst sample kits.
There may already be a catalyst for your process. It can also form the basis for an improved tailor-made catalyst that is adapted to your requirements.