A method of polishing a substrate comprising: (i) contacting a substrate comprising a noble metal selected from the group consisting of platinum, iridium and netherium, with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising: (a) an abrasive and/or polishing pad, (b) a liquid carrier, and (c) a sulfonic acid compound selected from the group consisting of pyridineethanesulfonic acids, pyridine sulfonic acids, 1-(3-sulfopropyl)pyridinium hydroxide, sulfanilic acid, dodecyldimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide, 2-( N -morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid, N -2-acetamido-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, 3-( N -moipholine)propanesulfonic acid, N -tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, N -2-hydroxyethylpiperazine- N '-2-ethanesulfonic acid, N -2-hydroxyeihylpiperazine- N '-3-propanesulfonic acid, cyclohexylaminoethanesulfonic acid, 3-(cyplohexylamino)propanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, hydroquinonesulfonic acid, hydroquinolinesulfonic acid, isethionic acid, 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolinedisulfonic acid, 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonic acid, aminoanthraquinone sulfonic acid, 2-formylbenzenesulfonic acid, 3-amino-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid, 4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid, 6-aminotoluene-3-sulfonic acid, benzidine-3-sulfonic acid, diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid, hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid, piperidine sulfonic acid, p-anisidine-3-sulfonic acid, p-xylene-2-sulfonic acid, methanesulfonic acid, 3-cyclohexylamino-1-propanesulfonic acid, 5-formyl-2-furanesulfonic acid, salts thereof, and combinations thereof, wherein the chemical-mechanical polishing system has a pH of 2 to 12, and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate. (i) contacting a substrate comprising a noble metal selected from the group consisting of platinum, iridium and netherium, with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising: (a) an abrasive and/or polishing pad, (b) a liquid carrier, and (c) a sulfonic acid compound selected from the group consisting of pyridineethanesulfonic acids, pyridine sulfonic acids, 1-(3-sulfopropyl)pyridinium hydroxide, sulfanilic acid, dodecyldimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide, 2-( N -morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid, N -2-acetamido-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, 3-( N -moipholine)propanesulfonic acid, N -tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, N -2-hydroxyethylpiperazine- N '-2-ethanesulfonic acid, N -2-hydroxyeihylpiperazine- N '-3-propanesulfonic acid, cyclohexylaminoethanesulfonic acid, 3-(cyplohexylamino)propanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, hydroquinonesulfonic acid, hydroquinolinesulfonic acid, isethionic acid, 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolinedisulfonic acid, 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonic acid, aminoanthraquinone sulfonic acid, 2-formylbenzenesulfonic acid, 3-amino-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid, 4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid, 6-aminotoluene-3-sulfonic acid, benzidine-3-sulfonic acid, diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid, hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid, piperidine sulfonic acid, p-anisidine-3-sulfonic acid, p-xylene-2-sulfonic acid, methanesulfonic acid, 3-cyclohexylamino-1-propanesulfonic acid, 5-formyl-2-furanesulfonic acid, salts thereof, and combinations thereof, wherein the chemical-mechanical polishing system has a pH of 2 to 12, and (a) an abrasive and/or polishing pad, (b) a liquid carrier, and (c) a sulfonic acid compound selected from the group consisting of pyridineethanesulfonic acids, pyridine sulfonic acids, 1-(3-sulfopropyl)pyridinium hydroxide, sulfanilic acid, dodecyldimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide, 2-( N -morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid, N -2-acetamido-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, 3-( N -moipholine)propanesulfonic acid, N -tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, N -2-hydroxyethylpiperazine- N '-2-ethanesulfonic acid, N -2-hydroxyeihylpiperazine- N '-3-propanesulfonic acid, cyclohexylaminoethanesulfonic acid, 3-(cyplohexylamino)propanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, hydroquinonesulfonic acid, hydroquinolinesulfonic acid, isethionic acid, 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolinedisulfonic acid, 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonic acid, aminoanthraquinone sulfonic acid, 2-formylbenzenesulfonic acid, 3-amino-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid, 4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid, 6-aminotoluene-3-sulfonic acid, benzidine-3-sulfonic acid, diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid, hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid, piperidine sulfonic acid, p-anisidine-3-sulfonic acid, p-xylene-2-sulfonic acid, methanesulfonic acid, 3-cyclohexylamino-1-propanesulfonic acid, 5-formyl-2-furanesulfonic acid, salts thereof, and combinations thereof, (ii) abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate.