Exploring Stabilized Alumina Phase Coatings as a Catalyst Carrier for Oxalic Acid Hydrogenation

The catalytic hydrogenation of oxalic acid to glycolic acid (GA) and/or ethylene glycol (EG) has been identified as a promising route for producing value‐added chemicals and potential hydrogen carriers. GA serves as a precursor for plastics and cosmetics, while EG can function as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier. In this work, an eco‐friendly and scalable bottom‐up approach to fabricate a Ru‐based hydrogenation catalyst on θ‐alumina‐coated SiC foam is presented. Nitrogen doping of the MOF(Al)‐based template enhances the mechanochemical stability of the resulting alumina coating by significantly modifying its surface texture and morphology. This phase‐stabilization method enables higher OA conversion compared to γ‐alumina and yields nearly equimolar amounts of GA and EG under continuous‐flow conditions (120 °C, 50 bar). These findings demonstrate the potential of this synthesis approach for producing stabilized metal oxide phases with tailored morphologies that improve catalyst performance.