Obtaining CeO2–ZrO2 mixed oxides by coprecipitation: role of preparation conditions

The preparation of CeO₂–ZrO₂ mixed oxides preparation was studied by evaluating the influence of several conditions. Coprecipitation was taken as the standard method and the effects brought about by the cerium salt precursor ((NH₄)₂Ce(NO₃)₆ or Ce(NO₃)₃), the introduction of drying and aging steps as well as pH controlling upon precipitation were analyzed. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction, infrared spectroscopy, oxygen storage capacity and surface area. The use of Ce(NO₃)₃ leads to the formation of c-CeO₂ and t-ZrO₂ mixed oxide whereas a solid solution is achieved by using (NH₄)₂Ce(NO₃)₆. It was observed that the cerium precursor is the most significant parameter of preparation procedure since it defines the crystalline phases and consequently the reducibility behavior of the CeO₂–ZrO₂ system.     

Modification of the oxygen storage capacity of CeO2–ZrO2 mixed oxides after redox cycling aging

High surface area CeO₂–ZrO₂ mixed oxides were treated at 900–950°C either under wet air or under successive reducing and oxidizing atmospheres in order to study the evolution of the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of these solids after different aging treatments. Several complementary methods were used to characterize the redox behavior: temperature programmed reduction (TPR) by H₂, TPO, magnetic susceptibility measurements to obtain the Ce³⁺ content, FT-IR spectroscopy of adsorbed methanol and a method to compare the oxygen buffering capacity (OBC) of the oxides.

All the results confirm that the mixed oxides exhibit better redox properties than pure ceria, particularly after aging. The enhancement in the OSC at moderate temperature has to be related to a deeper penetration of the reduction process from the surface into the under-layers. Redox cycling aging promotes the reduction at low temperature of all the mixed oxides, the improvement being much more important for low surface area aged samples. The magnitude of this effect does not depend on the BET surface areas which have similar values after cycling. This underlines the critical influence that the preparation and activation procedure have on the final OSC behaviors of the ceria–zirconia mixed oxides.     

X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of local structure of CeO2–ZrO2 mixed oxides with the same composition ratio (Ce/Zr=1)

Three types of CeO₂–ZrO₂ (Ce:Zr=1:1 molar ratio) compounds with different oxygen storage/release capacities (OSCs) were characterized by means of the Ce K-edge and Zr K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). In order to investigate the relationship between the OSC and local structure, the quantitative EXAFS curve-fitting analysis was applied. By enhancing the homogeneity of the Ce and Zr atoms in the CeO₂–ZrO₂ solid solution, the OSC performance increased. Especially, the atomically homogeneous Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ solid solution exhibited the highest OSC among these CeO₂–ZrO₂ samples. Additionally, the local oxygen environment around Ce and Zr was remarkably modified by enhancing the homogeneity of the CeO₂–ZrO₂ solid solution. It was postulated that the enhancement of the homogeneity of the CeO₂–ZrO₂ solid solution and the modification of the oxygen environment would be the source for the OSC improvement.     

Cerium–terbium mixed oxides as alternative components for three-way catalysts: a comparative study of Pt/CeTbOx and Pt/CeO2 model systems

By using a combination of oxygen buffering capacity (OBC) and oxygen storage capacity (OSC) measurements, the redox behaviour of a Pt/CeTbO_x catalyst is compared to that of a classic model TWC system: Pt/CeO₂. The results reported here show that the redox efficiency of the Pt/CeTbO_x catalyst is much better, especially at low temperature operation conditions such as those occurring during the cold start of engines. The catalyst containing terbium also shows lower ‘light-off’ temperatures for both methane and carbon monoxide oxidation.     

Characterization of the dynamic oxygen migration over Pt/CeO2-ZrO2 catalysts by O/O isotopic exchange reaction

To characterize the oxygen mobility over metal supported catalysts on a dynamic and in situ base, ¹⁸O/¹⁶O isotopic exchange reaction combined with CO oxidation was designed and exemplified on three kinds of three way catalysts of Pt/CeO₂-ZrO₂ (CZ-O, CZ-D and CZ-R). The obtained oxygen diffusion coefficients, oxygen release rate, and oxygen storage capacity were discussed and correlated with XRD spectra and other physical parameters. It was found that the oxygen mobility and oxygen storage capacity were parallel to the structural homogeneity of Zr introduction into the CeO₂ frame work, and decreased as: CZ-R > CZ-D > CZ-O. These results indicated that this combined isotopic exchange technique could be used to quantify the surface and bulk oxygen mobility, the oxygen storage capacity and oxygen release rate over the metal supported catalysts, and could be employed as a meaningful probe into the nature of CeO₂-ZrO₂ oxygen storage material. The oxygen mobility is also another important indicator for the development of oxygen storage materials.     

The effect of ceria content on the performance of Pt/CeO2/Al2O3 catalysts in the partial oxidation of methane

The effect of CeO₂ loading (1–20 wt.%) on the properties and catalytic behaviors of CeO₂–Al₂O₃-supported Pt catalysts on the partial oxidation of methane was studied. The catalysts were characterized by S_BET, X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and oxygen storage capacity (OSC). XRD and TPR results showed that the pretreatment temperature of the support influences on the amount of CeO₂ with fluorite structure. The pretreatment temperature of the support and CeO₂ loading influenced the morphology of Pt. OSC analysis showed a significant increase in the oxygen storage capacity per weight of CeO₂ for samples with high CeO₂ loading (12 and 20 wt.%). TPR analyses showed that the addition of Pt promotes the reduction of CeO₂. This effect was more significant for the catalysts with high CeO₂ loading (≥12 wt.%). The dispersion of Pt, measured by the rate of cyclohexane dehydrogenation, increases with increasing of the pretreatment temperature of the support. It was shown that the kind of the support is very important for obtaining of catalysts resistant to carbon formation. The catalysts with high CeO₂ loading (≥12 wt.%) showed the highest catalytic activity and stability in the reaction of partial oxidation of methane due to a higher Pt–CeO₂ interface.     

Towards the comprehension of oxygen storage processes on model three-way catalysts

CeO₂- and Ce_0.63Zr_0.37O₂-supported noble metal catalysts were studied. Samples were fully characterized using TEM, XRD, N₂ adsorption and H₂ chemisorption. The oxygen storage process was investigated focusing on the evolution as a function of temperature of both the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) and the oxygen storage complete capacity (OSCC). Aging effect on OSC was also examined in details in the case of Rh catalysts. Finally, the major role of oxygen diffusion, partly influenced by the metal/support interface quality, was confirmed.     

Structure evolution of nanocrystalline CeO2 and CeLnOx mixed oxides (Ln = Pr, Tb, Lu) in O2 and H2 atmosphere and their catalytic activity in soot combustion

This paper reports results of studies on structure and activity in soot combustion of nanocrystalline CeO₂ and CeLnOx mixed oxides (Ln = Pr, Tb, Lu, Ce/Ln atomic ratios 5/1). Nano-sized (4–5 nm) oxides with narrow size distribution were prepared by a microemulsion method W/O. Microstructure, morphology and reductivity of the oxides annealed up to 950 °C in O₂ and H₂ were analyzed by HRTEM, XRD, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy and H₂-TPR. Obtained mixed oxides had fluorite structure of CeO₂ and all exhibited improved resistance against crystal growth in O₂, but only CeLuOx behaved better than CeO₂ in hydrogen.

The catalytic activity of CeO₂, CeLnOx and physical mixtures of CeO₂ + Ln₂O₃ in a model soot oxidation by air was studied in “tight contact” mode by using thermogravimetry. Half oxidation temperature T_1/2 for soot oxidation catalysed by nano-sized CeO₂ and CeLnOx was similar and ca. 100 °C lower than non-catalysed oxidation. However, the mixed oxides were much more active during successive catalytic cycles, due to better resistance to sintering. Physical mixtures of nanooxides (CeO₂ + Ln₂O₃) showed exceptionally high initial activity in soot oxidation (decrease in T_1/2 by ca. 200 °C) but degraded strongly in successive oxidation cycles. The high initial activity was due to the synergetic effect of nitrate groups present in highly disordered surface of nanocrystalline Ln₂O₃ and enhanced reductivity of nanocrystalline CeO₂.     

Investigation of the oxygen storage process on ceria- and ceria–zirconia-supported catalysts

A total of 10 noble metal (Rh, Pt, Pd, Ru and Ir) catalysts, either supported on CeO₂ or Ce_0.63Zr_0.37O₂, were prepared. Catalysts were fully characterized using XRD, N₂ adsorption at −196 °C, TEM and H₂ chemisorption. Oxygen storage processes were carefully investigated. The influence of temperature was checked and a key role of oxygen diffusion was further demonstrated. A review of the reactions involved in the CO transient oxidation reaction is finally proposed.     

Co3O4/CeO2 composite oxides for methane emissions abatement: Relationship between Co3O4–CeO2 interaction and catalytic activity

Co₃O₄/CeO₂ composite oxides with different cobalt loading (5, 15, 30, 50, 70 wt.% as Co₃O₄) were prepared by co-precipitation method and investigated for the oxidation of methane under stoichiometric conditions. Pure oxides, Co₃O₄ and CeO₂ were used as reference. Characterization studies by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET, temperature programmed reduction/oxidation (TPR/TPO) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were carried out.

An improvement of the catalytic activity and thermal stability of the composite oxides was observed with respect to pure Co₃O₄ in correspondence of Co₃O₄–CeO₂ containing 30% by weight of Co₃O₄. The combined effect of cobalt oxide and ceria, at this composition, strongly influences the morphological and redox properties of the composite oxides, by dispersing the Co₃O₄ phase and promoting the efficiency of the Co³⁺–Co²⁺ redox couple. The presence in the sample Co₃O₄(30 wt.%)–CeO₂ of a high relative amount of Ce³⁺/(Ce⁴⁺ + Ce³⁺) as detected by XPS confirms the enhanced oxygen mobility.

The catalysts stability under reaction conditions was investigated by XRD and XPS analysis of the used samples, paying particular attention to the Co₃O₄ phase decomposition. Methane oxidation tests were performed over fresh (as prepared) and thermal aged samples (after ageing at 750 °C for 7 h, in furnace). The resistance to water vapour poisoning was evaluated for pure Co₃O₄ and Co₃O₄(30 wt.%)–CeO₂, performing the tests in the presence of 5 vol.% H₂O. A methane oxidation test upon hydrothermal ageing (flowing at 600 °C for 16 h a mixture 5 vol.% H₂O + 5 vol.%O₂ in He) of the Co₃O₄(30 wt.%)–CeO₂ sample was also performed. All the results confirm the superiority of this composite oxide.     

Direct decomposition of nitric oxide over Ba catalysts supported on CeO2-based mixed oxides

The direct decomposition of nitric oxide (NO) over barium catalysts supported on various metal oxides was examined in the absence and presence of O₂. Among the Ba catalysts supported on single-component metal oxides, Ba/Co₃O₄ and Ba/CeO₂ showed high NO decomposition activities, while Ba/Al₂O₃, Ba/SiO₂, and Ba/TiO₂ exhibited quite low activities. The effect of an addition of second components to Co and Ce oxides was further examined, and it was found that the activities were significantly enhanced using Ce–Mn mixed oxides as support materials. XRD results indicated the formation of CeO₂–MnO_x solid solutions with the cubic fluorite structure. O₂-TPD of the CeO₂–MnO_x solid solutions showed a large desorption peak in a range of relatively low temperature. The BET surface areas of the CeO₂–MnO_x solid solutions were larger than those of pure CeO₂ and Mn₂O₃. These effects caused by the addition of Mn are responsible for the enhanced activities of the Ba catalysts supported on Ce–Mn mixed oxides.     

Design of advanced automotive exhaust catalysts

Rhodium (Rh) is a critical component of current automotive three-way catalysts (TWCs), particularly with regard to NO_x and CO conversion at rich and stoichiometric air–fuel ratios (A/F). Rh supported on CeO₂ was active for NO_x and CO conversions but could be deactivated easily by high temperature aging. The cause of the deactivation is ascribed to the sintering of CeO₂. ZrO₂ incorporation into CeO₂ is reported to have high thermal durability in terms of oxygen storage capacity (OSC). There has been no report showing direct experimental evidence that Rh-loaded on CeO₂–ZrO₂ mixed oxides induced effects on TWC performance improvement in the actual automotive exhaust. In the present paper, the Rh-CeO₂ interaction contributing to NO_x reduction and the catalytic behavior of Rh-loaded CeO₂–ZrO₂ mixed oxide is addressed. Incorporating CeO₂–ZrO₂ into a catalyst offered significant improvement in light-off and warmed-up performances in model gas test. Newly designed TWC including the Rh/CeO₂–ZrO₂ component were aged and evaluated on an engine dynamometer. Result of engine dynamometer evaluation also revealed that significant improvement in the thermal durability can be achieved by the utilization of the optimized Rh-loaded CeO₂–ZrO₂ mixed oxide.     

Characterizations of platinum catalysts supported on Ce, Zr, Pr-oxides and formation of carbonate species in catalytic wet air oxidation of acetic acid

Catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of aqueous solution of acetic acid (78 mmol L⁻¹) was carried out with pure oxygen (2 MPa) at 200 °C in a stirred batch reactor on platinum supported oxide catalysts (Pt/oxide, oxide = CeO₂, Zr_0.1Ce_0.9O₂, Zr_0.1(Ce_0.75Pr_0.25)_0.9O₂ and ZrO₂). Platinum was loaded on oxides by impregnation (5 wt%), and then the catalysts were reduced under H₂. Homogenous dispersions of 2–3 nm metal crystallites were obtained. The catalytic activity depended on the ability of the support to resist to the formation of carbonates. Ce(CO₃)OH species, determined by FT-IR and XRD, were rapidly formed during the CWAO reaction especially on mixed oxides. These carbonates were responsible to a drastic drop in catalytic performances. Amounts of carbonate species increase with the ability of the catalyst to transfer oxygen.     

Pt/MnOx–CeO2 catalysts for the complete oxidation of formaldehyde at ambient temperature

MnO_x–CeO₂ mixed oxides with a Mn/(Mn + Ce) molar ratios of 0–1 were prepared by a modified coprecipitation method and investigated for the complete oxidation of formaldehyde. The MnO_x–CeO₂ with Mn/(Mn + Ce) molar ratio of 0.5 exhibited the highest catalytic activity among the MnO_x–CeO₂ mixed oxides. Structure analysis by X-ray powder diffraction and temperature-programmed reduction of hydrogen revealed that the formation of MnO_x–CeO₂ solid solution greatly improved the low-temperature reducibility, resulting in a higher catalytic activity for the oxidation of formaldehyde. Promoting effect of Pt on the MnO_x–CeO₂ mixed oxide indicated that both the Pt precursors and the reduction temperature greatly affected the catalytic performance. Pt/MnO_x–CeO₂ catalyst prepared from chlorine-free precursor showed extremely high activity and stability after pretreatment with hydrogen at 473 K. 100% conversion of formaldehyde was achieved at ambient temperature and no deactivation was observed for 120 h time-on-stream. The promoting effect of Pt was ascribed to enhance the effective activation of oxygen molecule on the MnO_x–CeO₂ support.     

Catalytic performance of Co3O4/CeO2 and Co3O4/CeO2–ZrO2 composite oxides for methane combustion: Influence of catalyst pretreatment temperature and oxygen concentration in the reaction mixture

The influence of catalyst pre-treatment temperature (650 and 750 °C) and oxygen concentration (λ = 8 and 1) on the light-off temperature of methane combustion has been investigated over two composite oxides, Co₃O₄/CeO₂ and Co₃O₄/CeO₂–ZrO₂ containing 30 wt.% of Co₃O₄. The catalytic materials prepared by the co-precipitation method were calcined at 650 °C for 5 h (fresh samples); a portion of them was further treated at 750 °C for 7 h, in a furnace in static air (aged samples).

Tests of methane combustion were carried out on fresh and aged catalysts at two different WHSV values (12 000 and 60 000 mL g⁻¹ h⁻¹). The catalytic performance of Co₃O₄/CeO₂ and Co₃O₄/CeO₂–ZrO₂ were compared with those of two pure Co₃O₄ oxides, a sample obtained by the precipitation method and a commercial reference. Characterization studies by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) show that the catalytic activity is related to the dispersion of crystalline phases, Co₃O₄/CeO₂ and Co₃O₄/CeO₂–ZrO₂ as well as to their reducibility. Particular attention was paid to the thermal stability of the Co₃O₄ phase in the temperature range of 750–800 °C, in both static (in a furnace) and dynamic conditions (continuous flow). The results indicate that the thermal stability of the phase Co₃O₄ heated up to 800 °C depends on the size of the cobalt oxide crystallites (fresh or aged samples) and on the oxygen content (excess λ = 8, stoichiometric λ = 1) in the reaction mixture. A stabilizing effect due to the presence of ceria or ceria–zirconia against Co₃O₄ decomposition into CoO was observed.

Moreover, the role of ceria and ceria–zirconia is to maintain a good combustion activity of the cobalt composite oxides by dispersing the active phase Co₃O₄ and by promoting the reduction at low temperature.     

Catalytic purification of waste gases containing VOC mixtures with Ce/Zr solid solutions

This study has been undertaken to investigate the efficiency of ceria, zirconia, and Ce_xZr_1−xO₂ mixed oxides as catalysts for the vapour-phase destruction in air of single model VOCs (n-hexane, 1,2-dichloroethane and trichloroethylene) and non-chlorinated VOC/chlorinated VOC binary mixtures. Considering all catalyst compositions examined for the individual destruction of these compounds, activity for complete oxidation decreased in the following order: n-hexane < 1,2-dichloroethane < trichloroethylene. The compositions with the best performance for chlorinated VOCs abatement (Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ and Ce_0.15Zr_0.85O₂) were different than that with the best performance for n-hexane oxidation (CeO₂). Concerning chlorinated VOCs conversion, it was observed that notable improvements in catalyst activity of CeO₂ could be achieved through structural doping with Zr ions. Mixed oxides exhibited promoted redox and acid properties, which resulted catalytically relevant for the oxidation of 1,2-dichloroethane and trichloroethylene. In contrast, the combustion of n-hexane was essentially controlled by surface oxygen species, which were more abundant on CeO₂. Attainment of high n-hexane conversions with CeO₂ was also attributed in part to the hydrophobicity of the support and the reduced interaction with carbon dioxide.

Significant ‘mixture effects’ on both activity and selectivity were noticed when a given chlorinated feed was decomposed in the presence of n-hexane. On one hand, each VOC decreased the reactivity of the other relative to that of the pure compound resulting in higher operating temperatures to achieve adequate destruction. Competitive adsorption played an important role in the reciprocal inhibition effects detected with all catalysts. On the other hand, the selectivity to HCl was noticeably enhanced when n-hexane was co-fed, probably due to the increased presence of water generated as an oxidation product.     

Deactivation and regeneration of Pt/γ-alumina and Pt/ceria–alumina catalysts for methane combustion in the presence of H2S

Ceria has been widely explored as an additive in alumina-supported precious metal catalysts due to a number of unique properties. The success of ceria and ceria-based materials is mainly attributed to the unique combination of an elevated oxygen transport capacity coupled with the ability to shift easily between reduced and oxidised sates. In this study the influence of CeO₂ addition to a Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst for low temperature (<540 °C) methane oxidation in an oxidising environment has been investigated. The resistance to H₂S-poisoning and influence on catalyst regeneration by oxidation or reductive treatments has been studied. The addition of CeO₂ to the support creates an increase in the level of activity based primarily on the oxygen storage capacity offered by the cerium oxide, causing an increase in oxygen activation. The ceria–alumina-supported catalyst showed a greater shift to poorer activity upon exposure to H₂S. It appears sulphur compounds react with the oxygen storage component causing a decrease in oxygen transfer, removing any benefit offered by the ceria. However, the level of Pt-agglomeration and support changes were reduced with the incorporation of ceria, emphasising the stabilising effect and promotion of metal particle dispersion associated with ceria. In order to obtain the maximum benefit of ceria addition to the support structure in terms of activity a reductive pretreatment is required. Upon exposure to a reducing atmosphere, it appears a Pt–CeO₂ interaction generates greater levels of activity.     

Kinetics of carbon oxide evolution in temperature-programmed oxidation of carbonaceous laydown deposited on wet oxidation catalysts

The combustion kinetics of coke laydown on wet oxidation catalysts was studied by means of temperature-programmed oxidation and mass spectrometry within the temperature range (30–600°C). The coke deposits were formed over three different catalysts 1 wt.% Pt/Al₂O₃, MnO₂/CeO₂ and 1 wt.% Pt–MnO₂/CeO₂ during phenol deep oxidation in a three-phase slurry reactor at various reaction conditions (exposure time, temperature, oxygen pressure, catalyst loading). The carbon oxides, oxygen and water fluxes arising from the combustion of the carbonaceous deposits in a 5% O₂/He mixture, were continuously monitored. In all cases, unimodal quasi-Gaussian distributions were obtained for CO₂ while no CO was detected. These evolutions were successfully described by a modified “fractal power-law” grain model. The coke-dependence of the carbon dioxide profiles was related to the fractal dimension of the catalyst surface and to the oxygen partial order during coke burn-off. The corresponding change in O₂ partial order was ascribed to competition between three steps in the combustion mechanism: non-dissociative O₂ chemisorption, interaction of oxygen with undissociated dioxygen bearing surface species, physical desorption of the complex oxide as carbon dioxide.     

Thermal ageing of Pt on low-surface-area CeO2–ZrO2–La2O3 mixed oxides: Effect on the OSC performance

This work aims at exploring the thermal ageing mechanism of Pt on ceria-based mixed oxides and the corresponding effect on the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) performance of the support material. Pt was supported on low-surface-area CeO₂–ZrO₂–La₂O₃ mixed oxides (CK) by impregnation method and subsequently calcined in static air at 500, 700 and 900 °C, respectively. The evolutions of textural, microstructural and redox properties of catalysts after the thermal treatments were identified by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The results reveal that, besides the sintering of Pt, encapsulation of metal by the mixed oxides occurs at the calcination temperature of 700 °C and above. The burial of Pt crystallites by support particles is proposed as a potential mechanism for the encapsulation. Further, the HRTEM images show that the distortion of the mixed oxides lattice and other crystal defects are distributed at the metal/oxides interface, probably indicating the interdiffusion/interaction between the metal and mixed oxide. In this way, encapsulation of Pt is capable to promote the formation of Ce³⁺ or oxygen vacancy on the surface and in the bulk of support. The OSC results show that the reducibility and oxygen release behavior of catalysts are related to both the metal dispersion and metal/oxides interface, and the latter seems to be more crucial for those supported on low-surface-area mixed oxides. Judging by the dynamic oxygen storage capacity (DOSC), oxygen storage capacity complete (OSCC) and oxygen releasing rate, the catalyst calcined at 700 °C shows the best OSC performance. This evident promotion of OSC performance is believed to benefit from the partial encapsulation of Pt species, which leads to the increment of Ce³⁺ or oxygen vacancies both on the surface and in the bulk of oxides despite a loss of chemisorption sites on the surface of metal particles.     

Catalytic reduction of NO by CO over NiO/CeO2 catalyst in stoichiometric NO/CO and NO/CO/O2 reaction

A new catalyst composed of nickel oxide and cerium oxide was studied with respect to its activity for NO reduction by CO under stoichiometric conditions in the absence as well as the presence of oxygen. Activity measurements of the NO/CO reaction were also conducted over NiO/γ-Al₂O₃, NiO/TiO₂, and NiO/CeO₂ catalysts for comparison purposes. The results showed that the conversion of NO and CO are dependent on the nature of supports, and the catalysts decreased in activity in the order of NiO/CeO₂ > NiO/γ-Al₂O₃ > NiO/TiO₂. Three kinds of CeO₂ were prepared and used as support for NiO. They are the CeO₂ prepared by (i) homogeneous precipitation (HP), (ii) precipitation (PC), and (iii) direct decomposition (DP) method. We found that the NiO/CeO₂(HP) catalyst was the most active, and complete conversion of NO and CO occurred at 210 °C at a space velocity of 120,000 h⁻¹. Based on the results of surface analysis, a reaction model for NO/CO interaction over NiO/CeO₂ has been proposed: (i) CO reduces surface oxygen to create vacant sites; (ii) on the vacant sites, NO dissociates to produce N₂; and (iii) the oxygen originated from NO dissociation is removed by CO.