There are continuous efforts to develop a strategy to
produce renewable and cleaner energy carriers from
abundant solar radiation and water.1,2 In this quest, catalytic
water oxidation is regarded as a primary process, and many
inorganic materials and transition metal-oxides are considered
good candidates for this conversion.2,3 Metal-oxide catalysts can
be electrodeposited on conducting substrates from carbonate,
phosphate, or borate electrolytes in the presence of metal
ions.4−6 To eliminate the possibility for interaction of metal
ions with the cathodic sites during electrolysis, membranes or
separators are usually employed that make the system more
complex and introduce resistance and diffusion limitations in
the electrochemical process.7 New preparation methods are
required that are easily implemented, and catalytic materials are
desired to perform in metal ion free systems for sustained
electrochemical operation.8,9 In addition, control over the
catalyst morphology and surface structure is important to
induce a high surface area and phase purity, facilitating both
charge transfer and mass transport during catalysis reaction