Homogeneous electrocatalytic water oxidation at neutral pH by a robust trinuclear copper(ii)-substituted polyoxometalate.

[(α-SbWO)Cu(HO)] (1) was tested as the first copper-containing polyoxometalate catalyst for O production via electrocatalytic water oxidation at a neutral pH. Multiple lines of experimental evidence confirm that catalytic water oxidation by 1 takes place in the absence of any heterogeneous species generated in situ. The catalytic capabilities of 1 and equal amounts of CuCl are completely different for electrocatalytic water oxidation behavior.