From macro- to nano-engineering of a promising CeO2-ZrO2-doped NiO-Al2O3/Ni-foam catalyst has been demonstrated for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene (ODE), through facial wet chemical etching of a Ni-foam followed post modification with CeO2 and ZrO2. The NiO-Al2O3/Ni-foam (denoted as NANF) achieved a high ethane conversion of 25.2% but with a very low ethylene selectivity of 43.1% at 450 degrees C. ZrO2-doping of the NANF led to a remarkable improvement in the ethylene selectivity but serious deterioration of activity while the CeO2-doping showed an opposite effect. Co-doping of the NANF using optimal amount of CeO2 and ZrO2 markedly promoted not only the activity but also the selectivity to ethylene. For example, over the 1CeO(2)-5ZrO(2)-NANF (CeO2:1 wt%, ZrO2:5 wt%) catalyst, a high ethane conversion of 40.3% was obtained with a 60.6% ethylene selectivity for a feed gas of C2H6/O-2/N-2 = 1/1/8 at 500 degrees C and a gas hourly space velocity of 18,000 cm(3) g(-1) h(-1), corresponding to a high ethylene productivity of 510 g(Ethylene) kg(cat)(-1) h(-1). In nature, co doping with CeO2 and ZrO2 synergistically tamed the NiO for selective H-abstraction of the ethane molecules other than over oxidation of them.