a b s t r a c tWe calculated the adsorption of SO 4 on h-BN and Pd on SO 4 adsorbed on h-BN by using first-principles calculations based on density-functional theory.Six stable configurations were found for SO 4 /h-BN, in which three O atoms of the SO 4 molecule bond to the h-BN surface. The adsorption energy of SO 4 to h-BN is 1.46 eV. When a Pd atom is added, Pd binds chemically to two O atoms of the SO 4 . The stable position of Pd is located between the two O atoms and on top of the bridge site of h-BN. The B-O bond length near Pd is longer than that in SO 4 /h-BN without Pd due to hybridization of the Pd orbital and the O orbital. This means that the B-O bond may be broken when Pd is present. Our results are highly valuable for experimentalists using h-BN as a catalyst substrate.