Scientists have developed catalytic converters to reduce toxic emissions produced by internal combustion engines burning gasoline. Catalytic converters take advantage of all five factors that affect the speed of chemical reactions, ensuring that exhaust emissions are as safe as possible. By using a carefully selected mixture of catalytically active metals, it is possible to completely burn carbon-containing compounds to carbon dioxide while minimizing the production of nitrogen oxides. This is especially impressive when we consider that one step involves adding more oxygen to the molecule and the other removing oxygen. A catalytic converter allows all carbon-containing compounds to be burned to carbon dioxide, while reducing the production of emissions from nitrogen oxides and other pollutants Gasoline-burning engines.

Most modern, three-way catalytic converters have a surface coated with a platinum-rhodium catalyst; it catalyzes the conversion of nitric oxide to dinitrogen and hydrocarbons like octane into carbon dioxide and water vapor:

2NO2(g) ⟶ N2(g) + 2O2(g)

2CO(g) + O2(g) ⟶ 2CO2(g)

2C8 H18(g) + 25O2(g) ⟶ 16CO2(g) + 18H2 O(g)