TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Electrode: The electrode comprises a catalytic material comprising metal ionic species and anionic species (preferably cobalt ions and phosphorus). The electrode further comprises a current collector; and a cationic species (preferably K+). The electrode comprises either: a current collector; and the catalytic material associated with the current collector, in an amount of at least about 0.01 mg of catalytic material per cm2 of current collector surface interfacing the catalytic material; or catalytic material absorbed or deposited on the electrode during at least some point of a reaction catalyzed by the catalytic material, where the electrode does not contain platinum; or the electrode for catalytically producing oxygen gas from water comprises a current collector, where the current collector does not contain platinum; metal ionic species with an oxidation state of (n+x) (where X is any whole number); and anionic species, where the metal ionic species and the anionic species define a substantially non-crystalline composition and have a Ksp value which is less, by a factor of at least 103, than the Ksp value of a composition comprising the metal ionic species with an oxidation state of (n) and the anionic species; or the electrode for catalytically producing oxygen gas from water, comprises the current collector, where the current collector has a surface area of greater than about 0.01 m2/g; metal ionic species with an oxidation state of (n+x); and anionic species, where the metal ionic species and the anionic species define a substantially non-crystalline composition and have a Ksp value which is less, by a factor of at least 103, than the Ksp value of a composition comprising the metal ionic species with an oxidation state of (n) and the anionic species. In the electrode, the overpotential is less than about 0.35 (preferably 0.325) V at an electrode current density of at least 1 mA/cm2. The current collector has a surface area of 0.01-300 (preferably greater than about 10, especially greater than about 50, particularly greater than about 100, greater than about 150, or greater than about 200) m2/g. The current collector comprises at least one of a metal, a metal oxide, or a metal alloy. In the electrode, at least a portion of the cobalt ions and the anionic species comprising phosphorus associate and dissociate from the electrode during use; and at least a portion of the cobalt ions are cyclically oxidized and reduced. The current collector is substantially porous or non-porous. The current collector comprises at least a first and a second material, where the first material is substantially conductive and the second material is substantially non-conductive, and the first material substantially coats the second material. The current collector optionally contains platinum less than about 10 (preferably less than about 10, especially less than about 15, particularly less than about 25, less than about 50, less than about 70, less than about 80, less than about 90, less than about 95, or less than about 99) wt.%. Preferred System: The system (S1) for electrolysis of water comprises either: a photovoltaic cell; and a device for electrolysis of water, constructed and arranged to be electrically connected to and driven by the photovoltaic cell, where the device comprises the electrode capable of catalytically converting water to oxygen gas at about ambient conditions, and the electrode comprises a catalytic material that does not contain a metal oxide or metal hydroxide; or a container; an electrolyte in the container; a first electrode mounted in the container and in contact with the electrolyte, where the first electrode comprises metal ionic species with an oxidation state of (n+x) and anionic species, and the metal ionic species and the anionic species defines a substantially non-crystalline composition, and the composition has a Ksp value which is less, by a factor of at least 103, than the Ksp value of a composition comprising the metal ionic species with an oxidation state of (n) and the anionic species; a second electrode mounted in the container and in contact with the electrolyte, where the second electrode is biased negatively with respect to the first electrode; and device for connecting the first electrode and the second electrode, where when a voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, gaseous hydrogen is evolved at the second electrode and gaseous oxygen is produced at the first electrode. The system (S2) for catalytically producing oxygen gas from water comprises either: the electrode, where the electrode comprises catalytic material comprising cobalt ions and anionic species comprising phosphorus; or a solution comprising water, cobalt ions, and anionic species comprising phosphorus; and the current collector submerged in the solution, where during use of the system, at least a portion of the cobalt ions and anionic species comprising phosphorus associate and dissociate from the current collector; or a first electrode comprising a current collector, metal ionic species, and anionic species, where the current collector does not contain platinum, and the current collector has a surface area of greater than about 0.01 m2/g; a second electrode, where the second electrode is biased negatively with respect to the first electrode; and a solution comprising water, where the metal ionic species and the anionic species are in dynamic equilibrium with the solution, and the first electrode is capable of catalytically producing oxygen gas from water at an overpotential of less than 0.4 volts at an electrode current density of at least 1 mA/cm2. In the system (S1), the pH of the electrolyte is neutral or below; gaseous hydrogen is evolved at the second electrode, where the gaseous hydrogen evolved is used to provide a source of heat, to power a device, or in the production of a chemical. In the system (S2), the dynamic equilibrium involves at least a portion of the metal ionic species are cyclically oxidized and reduced; at least a portion of the metal ionic species being cyclically oxidized and reduced are associating and disassociating, respectively, from the electrode. In the systems, the first electrode is able to catalytically produce oxygen gas with an overpotential of less than 0.4 volts at an electrode current density of at least 1 mA/cm2. In the system (S1), the electrolyte comprises a solid; or a solid polymer electrolyte; the pH of the electrolyte is 5.5-9.5 (preferably 8-6, especially 7-4, particularly less than about 8, 7-1, 7-2, or 7-3); and the electrolyte is a non-permeable electrolyte. The electrolyte or solution comprises water. The water for electrolysis is provided in a gaseous state or a liquid state; and the water for electrolysis contains at least one impurity. In the systems, the electrode is capable of operating at approximately the same (preferably greater than about 95%, especially greater than about 90%, particularly greater than about 85% or greater than about 80%) activity level using water containing the at least one impurity versus water that does not substantially contain the at least one impurity under essentially identical conditions. The at least one impurity is present in an amount less than about 1000 (preferably less than about 100, especially less than about 10, particularly less than about 1) parts per million; or at least one impurity is present in an amount less than about 100 (preferably less than about 10, especially less than about 1) parts per billion. The at least one impurity is a gas (preferably carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide), where the gas is dissolved in the water; or a halide (preferably chloride). The system is operated at approximately ambient temperatures (preferably greater than about 30, especially greater than about 60, especially greater than about 90) degrees C; and the voltage is applied by a power source (preferably a photovoltaic cell). In the system (S1), the device can produce at least about 10 mmol of oxygen gas per cm2 of photovoltaic cell; the device is capable of catalytically converting oxygen gas to water; and the catalytically active species comprise metal ionic species and anionic species. The system is an electrochemical cell. Preferred Method: The method (M1) involves producing oxygen gas from water at a water pH of 5.5-8.5 (preferably less than or equal to 7). In the method (M3), the metal ionic species and anionic species form a composition associated with the current collector. The method (M3) involves forming the composition associated with the current collector by application of a voltage at a level that causes essentially no catalytic production of oxygen gas, where the composition is substantially non-crystalline, and the composition does not contain metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide. In the methods (M2) and (M3), at least a portion of the metal ionic species that are cyclically oxidized and reduced are associated and dissociated, respectively, from the electrode. The method (M2) further involves producing hydrogen gas from water at the second electrode, and the oxygen gas is produced at the first electrode; using the hydrogen gas or oxygen gas to produce heat; using the hydrogen gas to power a device; using the hydrogen gas for the production of a chemical; and forming water from the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas. In the method (M2), the dynamic equilibrium involves a change in the oxidation state of the metal ionic species, where the change in the oxidation state of the metal ionic species is from (n) to (n+x) (where x is any whole number). In the method (M2), the electrolyte comprises anionic species. The voltage is applied to the current collector for about 8 hours (preferably about 1 minutes and about 24 hours). In the method (M3), the composition forms a layer of material associated with the current collector, where the layer comprises several protruding particles, the thickness of the layer is dependent on the length of time the voltage is applied to the current collector, the layer forms from a coalescing of several particles associated with the current collector, and the layer has optionally uniform thickness; and the layer has a thickness of less than about 100 (preferably less than about 10, especially less than about 1) mu m or the layer has a thickness of less than about 100 (preferably less than about 10, especially less than about 1) nm. In the method (M2), the catalysis is conducted at approximately ambient temperatures (preferably greater than about 30) degrees C. The oxygen gas is produced at a rate of 10 mmol oxygen gas per cm2 of electrode per hour. The overpotential is determined under standardized conditions, where the standardized conditions comprise an electrolyte with a neutral pH ambient temperatures, ambient pressure, a current collector that is nonporous and planar, and at a geometric current density of about 1 mA\cm2.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal ionic species comprise cobalt ions; or at least a first and a second type of metal ionic species, where the first type of metal ionic species comprise cobalt ions, and the second type of metal ionic species comprise nickel ions or manganese ions. The anionic species does not contain hydroxide or oxide ions. The anionic species comprise at least a first type and a second type of anionic species, where the first type of anionic species comprise oxides or hydroxides, and the second type of anionic species comprise phosphorus; or comprise phosphorus selected from HPO4-2, H2PO4-2, PO4-3, H3PO3, HPO3-2, H2PO3-2 or PO3-3 (preferably HPO4-2); or PO3Me-2. The anionic species is selected from forms of phosphate, forms of sulfate, forms of carbonate, forms of arsenate, forms of phosphite, forms of silicate, or forms of borate. The ratio of the metal ionic species to anionic species to cationic species is about 2:1:1. The Ksp values differ by a factor of at least 105 (preferably at least 1010, especially at least 1015). The catalytic material does not contain metal oxide or metal hydroxide. The metal, the metal oxide or the metal alloy comprises at least one of gold, copper, silver, platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, nickel, cadmium, tin, lithium, chromium, calcium, titanium, aluminum, cobalt, zinc, vanadium, nickel, or palladium. The current collector comprises a ceramic, an inorganic conductive material, or an organic conductive material (preferably at least one of indium tin oxide, fluorine tin oxide, antimony-doped tin oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide, glassy carbon, carbon mesh, lithium-containing compounds, or graphite). The anionic species comprising phosphorus comprises the structure PO(OR1)(OR2)(R3). The impurity comprises a metal (preferably metal element, metal ion, compound comprising a metal atom, or an ionic species comprising a metal ion), where the metal is sodium, magnesium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, potassium, mercury, lead, or barium; or at least one impurity is an organic material, a small organic molecule, a bacteria, a pharmaceutical compound, a herbicide, a pesticide, a protein, or an inorganic compound, where the inorganic compound comprises boron, silicon, sulfur, nitrogen, cyanide, phosphorus or arsenic.R1-R3=alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, heteroalkyl, heteroalkenyl, heteroalkynyl or (hetero)aryl (all optionally substituted, or optionally absent) or H.Preferred Composition: The ratio of cobalt ions to anionic species comprising phosphorus is 5:1-1:5 (preferably 2:1). The composition is associated with a current collector. The composition further comprises a cationic species; at least a second type of anionic species (preferably oxide and/or hydroxide ions); and at least one metal ionic species (preferably manganese or nickel ions). The ratio of cobalt ions:anionic species comprising phosphorusxationic species is about 2:1:1. In the composition, the current collector comprises indium tin oxide; and the current collector does not contain platinum. The composition associates with the current collector by forming a layer, where the layer has a thickness of less than about 10 mu m, and the layer is formed by the coalescing of several particles formed on the current collector. In the composition, a complex comprising the cobalt ions and the anionic species comprising phosphorus has a Ksp constant of 10-3 to 10-20 (preferably 10-10). EXAMPLE - No suitable example is given.