To evaluate the structural and spectroscopic steering factors of noble metal promotion in the catalytic reduction of NO by Co, a series of La(Cu0.7Mn0.3)(0.98)M0.02O3-delta (M = Pd, Pt, Ru, Rh) perovskite catalysts is investigated. The materials are synthesized by a sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). All metal promoted perovskites exhibit a comparatively higher activity for catalytic reduction of NO by CO with respect to pure La(Cu0.7Mn0.3)O3-delta. Among all catalysts tested, the La(Cu0.7Mn0.3)(0.9)8Pd(0.02)O(3-delta) perovskite shows the highest catalytic activity, which is tentatively related to a combined synergistic effect of improved oxygen vacancy activity and noble metals. Additionally, the redox chemistry of the catalysts in different reducing (H-2) and oxidizing (NO, O-2) atmospheres is tested. An enhanced kinetic reducibility, especially with Pd, was observed. All the H-2-reduced catalysts are capable of reducing NO. At low and intermediate temperatures, the formation of N2O is observed, but at higher temperatures NO is exclusively converted to N-2. The introduction of noble metals leads to new adsorption sites for NO. As XPS suggests a tendency for depletion of noble metals in the surface-near regions, while the catalytic activity in NO reduction at the same time appears much improved, directed noble metal promotion with modest amounts especially in surface-near regions during synthesis appears as an encouraging method to economize the use of the latter. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Inc.