In the present study, barium-based NOx, storage catalysts containing platinum, rhodium, or both noble metals were investigated. The influence of SO2 exposure conditions on the performance of NOx storage catalysts was studied using flow reactor measurements, FTIR, and XPS where the samples were exposed to lean and/or rich SO2-containing gas mixtures, simulating the conditions in a mixed lean application. The main results show that all samples are sensitive to sulfur and that deactivation is faster when SO2 is present in the feed under rich conditions than under lean or continuous SO2 exposure. It was also found that SO2 affects the performance of noble metals strongly and that noble metal deactivation most likely occurs during the rich period of a NOx storage cycle. Additionally, the influence of the noble metals present in the catalysts was investigated with respect to sulfur sensitivity and it was found that a combination of platinum and rhodium seems to be preferable for retaining high performance (high NO oxidation and reduction activity) of the catalyst under SO2 exposure and subsequent regeneration. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.