TPD spectra of CO and NO were studied at atmospheric pressure for highly dispersed Pt, Rh, and Pt + Rh supported on Al2O3, Al2O3 + ceria, and pure ceria, respectively. Ceria has a strong influence on the CO and NO spectra on the reduced catalysts, demonstrating that ceria modifies the catalyst properties. For NO nearly complete decomposition to N2 takes place on all reduced catalysts at low NO doses, while product oxygen inhibits the decomposition. Ceria slows down this inhibition effect, probably due to oxygen spillover from the noble metal to reduced ceria. The activities for the CO + 1 2O2 → CO2 and NO + CO → 1 2N2 + CO2 reactions are both enhanced by the addition of ceria for stoichiometric reactant mixtures. The ceria-induced effects are associated with the interaction of highly dispersed noble metal with oxygen vacancies in the reduced ceria support. © 1991.