Abstract In this work, the catalytic activity was investigated in the hydrogenation of anthracene by BaSO 3 and Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) complexes that contain the ligand bis(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl) methane ( L ). The compounds were supported on activated carbon ( AC ) and studied as catalysts for the hydrogenation of anthracene over different temperatures and reaction times. The supported catalysts (Cat/ AC ) were prepared by direct impregnation on the support and characterized by surface area determination, FTIR spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction and pore size distribution analysis. The results showed high conversions and selectivity toward hydrogenated products, where the highest value was obtained using LNiCl 2 / AC and the lowest with BaSO 3 / AC . It was established that the selectivity for Tetrahydroanthracene was more highest quantity as a product of hydrogenation using Cat/ AC which is dependent of the temperature, reaching a peak at 450 °C. At this temperature and with very short reaction times, the catalytic activity is influenced mainly by the chemical characteristics of the metal in the complexes and the AC support.