Nitrogen oxide storage materials and methods of manufacturing nitrogen oxide storage materials are disclosed. The nitrogen oxide storage materials can be used to manufacture catalytic trap disposed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine which is operated periodically between lean and stoichiometric or rich conditions, for abatement of NOx in an exhaust gas stream which is generated by the engine. In one embodiment, the nitrogen oxide storage material comprises alkaline earth material supported on ceria particles having a crystallite size of between about 10 and 20 nm and the alkaline earth oxide having a crystallite size of between about 20-40 nm.