Joseph Reed

Nitric oxide reduction coupled with carbon monoxide oxidation in the presence of soluble metal catalysts.

Solutions of RhCl3�xH2O in ethanol and Ru(NO)2[P(C6H5)3]2 in benzene catalyze the reduction of nitric oxide to nitrous oxide concomitant with the oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. The reaction, which is followed by gas chromatography and by the decrease in pressure of the system, proceeds to 47 percent conversion of the reactants after 63 hours.

The Catalyzed Reduction of Nitric Oxide by Carbon Monoxide Using Soluble Rhodium Complexes

The reduction of nitric oxide by carbon monoxide to yield CO2 and N2O is of obvious environmental importance. However, despite its favorable thermodynamics,2 reaction (1) does not proceed at an appreciable rate in the absence of catalyst.