Process for the inorganic chemical modification of rhodium alumina catalysts and automotive catalyst made by the process

A catalyst suitable for use as an automotive catalyst in controlling automotive exhaust emissions, such as carbon monoxide, comprising:

• an aluminum oxide supported rhodium catalyst having a substantial number of nonoxidized sites;
• and
• said aluminum oxide supported rhodium catalyst characterized by substantially all surface hydroxyl groups having been converted to OY groups prior to the addition of said rhodium catalyst to said support by reacting said aluminum oxide support with an alumina modifier which comprises an inorganic compound having sufficient cation Y to convert substantially all said hydroxyl groups on said aluminum oxide support into OY groups followed by calcination at about 973K, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal and an alkaline earth metal, whereby after the addition of said rhodium catalyst to said support said rhodium catalyst is substantially retained in an active, nonoxidized state with little or no oxidized rhodium sites to react with the components of said automotive catalyst and the reestablishment of Al--OH groups is resisted.