A lean NO
x
trap (LNT) catalyst has been widely used for removing NO
x
exhaust from lean-burn engines. However,
the operation range of LNT has been limited because of the poor activity
of LNT catalysts at low temperatures (≤300 °C), especially
in urban driving conditions. To increase NO
x
removal efficiency during lean–rich cycle operation,
a Cu/CeO2 (CC) catalyst was added to a Pt–BaO/CeO2 (PBC) catalyst. In comparison to PBC- or CC-only catalysts,
the physical mixture of PBC and CC catalysts (PBC + CC) exhibited
a significant synergy for both NO
x
storage
and reduction efficiencies. In particular, low-temperature activity
below 200 °C was greatly enhanced. A Pt–BaO–Cu/CeO2 (PBCC) catalyst, which was synthesized by depositing Pt and
Cu together on a ceria support, showed poorer NO
x
removal efficiency. The origin of the synergistic effect over
PBC + CC was investigated. Under lean conditions, the CC showed much
better activity for NO oxidation, allowing for faster NO
x
storage on PBC. Under rich conditions, H2 was generated in situ on the CC by a water–gas
shift reaction then accelerated the reduction of NO
x
, which had been stored on PBC, with a higher selectivity to
N2. This simple modification in the catalyst can provide
an important clue to enhance low-temperature activity of the commercial
LNT system.