NOVELTY - Generating a gas selected from oxygen and hydrogen via an electrolysis reaction, involves placing an anode and a cathode in aqueous solution at a pH of 3-6.8, where at least a portion of the aqueous solution adjacent the anode comprises water cobalt cation and an anion electrolyte; and using an external source of electricity to drive the electrolysis reaction from the anode and cathode.    USE - For generating gas selected from oxygen and hydrogen (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method generates gas efficiently, without requiring highly basic reaction conditions, performs at ambient room conditions and mild acidic condition; and is of low cost.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Generating a gas selected from oxygen and hydrogen via an electrolysis reaction, involves placing an anode and a cathode in aqueous solution at a pH of 3-6.8, where at least a portion of the aqueous solution adjacent the anode comprises water cobalt cation and an anion electrolyte, and using an external source of electricity to drive the electrolysis reaction from the anode and cathode to generate gas; or placing an anode and a cathode in water, where the anode comprises a substrate having a catalyst coating, and using an external source of electricity to drive the electrolysis reaction from the anode and cathode to generate gas, where the catalyst coating comprising cobalt, oxygen and an anion selected from fluoride, fluorophosphate, trifluoromethyl sulfonamide, other perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides, trifluoromethyl phosphonate, other perfluoroalkyl phosphonates, perfluoro-tert-butoxide, other perfluorinated tertiary alkoxides, deprotonated hexafluoroacetone hydrate, other anions of perfluorinated dialkyl ketone hydrates, and chromate. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for following:    (1) an anode for generating oxygen in an electrolysis reaction, comprising a substrate; and a catalytic coating positioned on the substrate which comprises cobalt, oxygen, and the anion;    (2) an electrolysis cell comprising the anode and a cathode; and    (3) forming the anode involving positioning the substrate in an aqueous solution comprising cobalt cation and the selected anion, and conducting an electrolysis reaction using the substrate as an anode in that reaction.