The reduction of NO under cyclic "lean "/"rich" conditions was examined over two model 1 wt.% Pt/20 wt.% BaO/Al2O3 and 1 wt.% Pd/ 20 wt.% BaO/Al2O3 NOx storage reduction (NSR) catalysts. At temperatures between 250 and 350 degrees C, the Pd/BaO/Al2O3 catalyst exhibits higher overall NOx reduction activity. Limited amounts of N2O were formed over both catalysts. Identical cyclic studies conducted with non-BaO-containing 1 wt.% Pt/Al2O3 and Pd/Al2O3 catalysts demonstrate that under these conditions Pd exhibits a higher activity for the oxidation of both propylene and NO. Furthermore, in situ FTIR studies conducted under identical conditions suggest the formation of higher amounts of surface nitrite species on Pd/BaO/Al2O3. The IR results indicate that this species is substantially more active towards reaction with propylene. Moreover, its formation and reduction appear to represent the main pathway for the storage and reduction of NO under the conditions examined. Consequently, the higher activity of Pd can be attributed to its higher oxidation activity, leading both to a higher storage capacity (i.e., higher concentration of surface nitrites under "lean" conditions) and a higher reduction activity (i.e., higher concentration of partially oxidized active propylene species under "rich" conditions). The performance of Pt and Pd is nearly identical at temperatures above 375 degrees C. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.