The effect of oxygen concentration on the catalytic reaction of NO x with soot over BaAl 2 O 4 has been studied by Diffuse Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The introduction of O 2 into the NO flow can result in a reactant mixture of NO/NO 2 /O 2 . Increasing the O 2 concentration from 2 % to 5 % in the NO-containing flow promotes the formation of NO 2 from the gas phase oxidation of NO. The reactant mixture with high O 2 /NO flow, allows for the formation of greater amounts of nitrate species than that with low O 2 /NO flow, which further promotes the reaction of soot with NO x and leads to a high conversion efficiency of NO x into N 2 and N 2 O. In the absence of O 2 , N 2 O is not observed since the N 2 O produced at high temperatures has reacted with soot before it can be detected.