Nickel enhanced the catalytic activities of amorphous copper for the oxygen evolution reactionElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6ta10866k

A binary nickel copper oxide (NiCuO x ) was fabricated at room temperature via a one-step method. The as-deposited NiCuO x nanoparticles, with an atomic ratio of Cu/Ni = 4 : 1, possess a rice-like feature and amorphous structure, as confirmed by SEM and XRD analysis. In addition, they exhibited a small overpotential of 320 mV and long-term durability for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in a carbonate system. Rice-like NiCuO x nanoparticles, fabricated via a one-step method, exhibit enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability towards the OER.