Magnetic CoPt bimetallic NPs anchored on ultrathin Co(OH)2 nanosheet arrays functioned as an efficient bi-functional water splitting catalyst where the intrinsic magnetism of CoPt was used to improve the stability further by providing external magnetic support.

Herein, we report a single step, anionic surfactant-assisted, low temperature-hydrothermal synthetic strategy of CoO nanoparticles anchored on β-Co(OH) nanosheets which show a low overpotential (295 mV @ 10 mA cm) for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). They also demonstrate much better kinetic parameters compared to the state-of-the-art RuO. Interestingly, under the OER operational conditions (in alkaline medium), the topotactic transformation of α-Co(OH) to a stable Brucite-like β-Co(OH) phase leads to a synergistic interaction between the β-Co(OH) sheets on the CoO nanoparticles for enhancing the OER electrocatalytic activity.

Electrochemical water oxidation is a dynamic and basal approach for several energy conversion technologies such as solar fuels and metal–air batteries. Herein, we report a novel ‘nitrogen’ (N) enriched interconnected graphene quantum dots (C‐GQDs) as efficient oxygen evolution electrocatalyst, a potential candidate to replace the noble metal OER electrocatalysts. Interestingly, C‐GQDs deliver a current density of 10 mAcm‐2 at 350 mV, a small Tafel slope of 55 mV/dec and outstanding durability which is much superior to the state‐of‐the‐art precious RuO2. More precisely, the unexpected behaviour of graphene quantum dots towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is attributed to the interconnection through N‐rich framework (25 %) among the discrete particles. Predominantly, in the pyridine N‐oxide, N acts as nucleophilic site and pyridinic N develops p‐ type doping, responsible for enhanced the OER electrocatalytic activity. The co‐existence of both pyridinic N and pyridine N‐oxide N induces charge redistribution through π‐π delocalization to reduce the *OOH thermodynamic energy barrier. We hope that our study will encourage to develop more efficient electrocatalysts with more effective doping or surface functionalized structure by understanding the dopant nature.