Described are catalytic articles comprising a substrate having a washcoat on the substrate, the washcoat containing a catalytic component having a first average (D50) particle size and a functional binder component having a second average (D50) particle size in the range of about 10 nm to about 1000 nm, wherein the ratio of the first average (D50) particle size to the second average (D50) particle size is greater than about 10:1. The catalytic articles are useful in methods and systems to purify exhaust gas streams from an engine.

Process for preparing a catalyst or a trapping mass comprising the following steps: bringing a porous oxide support into contact with a metal salt comprising at least one metal belonging to groups VIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IB or IIB, of which the melting point of said metal salt is between 20° C. and 150° C., for a period of between 5 minutes and 5 hours in order to form a solid mixture, the weight ratio of said metal salt to said porous oxide support being between 0.1 and 1; heating the solid mixture with stirring at a temperature between the melting point of said metal salt and 200° C. and for 5 minutes to 12 hours; calcining the solid obtained in the preceding step at a temperature above 200° C. and below or equal to 1100° C. under an inert atmosphere or under an oxygen-containing atmosphere.

A nitrogen oxide storage material comprising: Mg.sub.1-yAl.sub.2O.sub.4-y, wherein y is a number satisfying 0≤y≤0.2, a noble metal, an oxide of a metal other than the noble metal, and a barium compound, the noble metal, the oxide, and the barium compound being loaded on Mg.sub.1-yAl.sub.2O.sub.4-y. The metal oxide comprises at least one metal oxide selected from zirconium oxide, praseodymium oxide, niobium oxide, and iron oxide.

Manganese-cobalt (Mn—Co) spinel oxide nanowire arrays are synthesized at low pressure and low temperature by a hydrothermal method. The method can include contacting a substrate with a solvent, such as water, that includes Mn04- and Co2 ions at a temperature from about 60° C. to about 120° C. The method preferably includes dissolving potassium permanganate (KMn04) in the solvent to yield the Mn04- ions. the substrate is The nanoarrays are useful for reducing a concentration of an impurity, such as a hydrocarbon, in a gas, such as an emission source. The resulting material with high surface area and high materials utilization efficiency can be directly used for environment and energy applications including emission control systems, air/water purifying systems and lithium-ion batteries.

A NO.sub.x adsorber catalyst and its use in an emission treatment system for internal combustion engines, is disclosed. The NO.sub.x adsorber catalyst comprises a first layer consisting essentially of a support material, one or more platinum group metals disposed on the support material, and a NO.sub.x storage material.

An exhaust system for treating an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The system comprises a modified lean NO.sub.x trap (LNT), a urea injection system, and an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction catalyst. The modified LNT comprises a first layer and a second layer. The first layer comprises a NO.sub.x adsorbent component and one or more platinum group metals. The second layer comprises a diesel oxidation catalyst zone and an NO oxidation zone. The diesel oxidation catalyst zone comprises a platinum group metal, a zeolite, and optionally an alkaline earth metal. The NO oxidation zone comprises a platinum group metal and a carrier. The modified LNT stores NO.sub.x at temperatures below about 200° C. and releases at temperatures above about 200° C. The modified LNT and a method of using the modified LNT are also disclosed.

Zero-Rare Earth Metal (ZREM) and Zero-platinum group metals (ZPGM) compositions of varied binary spinel oxides are disclosed as oxygen storage material (OSM) to be used within TWC systems. The ZREM-ZPGM OSM systems comprise binary non-Cu spinel oxides of Co—Fe, Fe—Mn, Co—Mn, or Mn—Fe. The oxygen storage capacity (OSC) property associated with the non-Cu ZREM-ZPGM OSM systems is determined employing isothermal OSC oscillating condition testing. Further, the OSC test results compare the OSC properties of a ZREM-ZPGM reference OSM system including a Cu—Mn binary spinel oxide and PGM reference catalysts including Ce-based OSMs. The non-Cu spinel oxides ZREM-ZPGM OSM systems exhibit significantly improved OSC properties, which are greater than the OSC property of the Ce-based OSM PGM reference systems.

Synergized platinum group metals (SPGM) with ultra-low PGM loadings employed as close-coupled (CC) three-way catalysts (TWC) systems with varied material compositions and configurations are disclosed. SPGM CC catalysts in which ZPGM compositions of binary or ternary spinel structures supported onto support oxides are coupled with commercialized PGM UF catalysts and tested under Federal Test Procedure FTP-75 within TGDI and PI engines. The performance of the TWC systems including SPGM CC (with ultra-low PGM loadings) catalyst and commercialized PGM UF catalyst is compared to the performance of commercialized PGM CC and PGM UF catalysts. The disclosed TWC systems indicate that SPGM CC TWC catalytic performance is comparable or even exceeds high PGM-based conventional TWC catalysts, with reduced tailpipe emissions.

Synergized platinum group metals (SPGM) with ultra-low PGM loadings employed as underfloor (UF) three-way catalyst (TWC) systems with varied material compositions and configurations are disclosed. SPGM UF catalysts in which ZPGM compositions of binary and ternary spinel structures supported onto support oxides are coupled with commercialized PGM close-coupled (CC) catalysts and tested under Federal Test Procedure FTP-75 within TGDI and PI engines. The performance of the TWC systems including commercialized PGM CC and SPGM UF (with ultra-low PGM loadings) catalysts is compared to the performance of commercialized PGM CC and PGM UF catalysts. The disclosed TWC systems indicate that SPGM UF TWC catalytic performance is comparable or even exceeds high PGM-based conventional TWC catalysts, with reduced tailpipe emissions.

An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, the exhaust system comprising, a lean NO.sub.x trap (LNT), a wall flow monolithic substrate having a NO.sub.x storage and reduction zone thereon, the wall flow monolithic substrate having a pre-coated porosity of 40% or greater, the NO.sub.x storage and reduction zone comprising a platinum group metal loaded on a first support, the first support comprising one or more alkaline earth metal compounds, a mixed magnesium/aluminium oxide, cerium oxide, and at least one base metal oxide selected the group consisting of copper oxide, manganese oxide, iron oxide and zinc oxide.