The 14N/15N isotopic exchange pathways over Co3Mo3N, a material of interest as an ammonia synthesis catalyst and for the development of nitrogen transfer reactions, have been investigated. Both the homomolecular and heterolytic exchange processes have been studied, and it has been shown that lattice nitrogen species are exchangeable. The exchange behavior was found to be a strong function of pretreatment with ca. 25% of lattice N atoms being exchanged after 40 min at 600 °C after N2 pretreatment at 700 °C compared to only 6% following similar Ar pretreatment. This observation, for which the potential contribution of adsorbed N species can be discounted, is significant in terms of the application of this material. In the case of the Co6Mo6N phase, regeneration to Co3Mo3N under 15N2 at 600 °C occurs concurrently with 14N15N formation. These observations demonstrate the reactivity of nitrogen in the Co–Mo–N system to be a strong function of pretreatment and worthy of further consideration.

A series of 1wt%Pt/xBa/Support (Support = Al2O3, SiO2, Al2O3-5.5wt%SiO2 and Ce0.7Zr0.3O2, x = 5-30wt% BaO) catalysts was investigated regarding the influence of the support oxide on Ba properties for the rapid NOx trapping (100s). Catalysts were treated at 700°C under wet oxidizing atmosphere. The nature of the support oxide and the Ba loading influenced the Pt-Ba proximity, the Ba dispersion and then the surface basicity of the catalysts estimated by CO2-TPD. At high temperature (400°C) in the absence of CO2 and H2O the NOx storage capacity increased with the catalyst basicity: