Nitromethane (NM) is a very efficient reductant for converting NO2 to N-2 over Ag/Y: Between 140 degrees C and 400 degrees C, the N-2 yield is close to 100%. This high N-2 yield results from the ability of Ag/Y to effectively catalyze the reaction between NM and NO2. This high catalytic activity of Ag/Y is minimally affected by surface bound CN-, NC-, or acetate, all of which are stable at temperatures below similar to 300 degrees C. At T >= 400 degrees C, there is a reaction path that yields N-2 from NM even in the absence of NO2. However even at 400 degrees C, under typical deNO (x) conditions, most N-2 molecules are formed as a result of the reaction of NM and NO2.