Cobalt polyoxometalate-LDH hybrids: pH-switchable molecular catalysts to confined cobalt oxide oxygen evolution layers.

Intercalating Co-POMs into the LDH lamellar space effectively boosts their OER activity at neutral pH. In alkaline media, Co-POMs decompose into tunable layered cobalt oxide species within the LDH gallery, controlled by Co-POM nuclearity. The latter is a novel method for preparing layered oxides using the LDH galleries as nanoreactors.