The interactions of NO with carbon and carbon-supported catalysts have been investigated by means Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Nitric oxide direct decomposition over carbon-supported catalysts (Cu, Pt) was studied in a temperature ranging from 473 to 623 K. NO conversion increased with increasing reaction temperature in the whole temperature range. The carbon-supported Pt catalyst has a very high activity for the decomposition of NO in the absence of oxygen. As a result of NO chemisorption isocyanate (-NCO) species on the surface of carbon containing Cu were observed. When the reaction temperature was increased, the -NCO band at 2229 cm - 1 became more intense.