TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: In the method: the non-porphyrin precursor forms a complex with iron; at least two different metal precursors are used resulting in a multi-metallic catalyst; the sacrificial template particles and non-porphyrin precursors are selected to shift the reaction mechanism of the electrocatalytic material towards the 4 electron pathway; and the sacrificial template particles are formed from silica, where each population of silica particles is formed from a different type of silica. The method further comprises: mixing the transition metal and non-porphyrin precursors with the sacrificial template particles; atomizing the mixture to form a powder; collecting the powder; and heat treating the powder. Preferred Components: The non-porphyrin precursor is 4-aminoantipyrine. The sacrificial template particles comprise at least two populations of particles, where each population has an average particle diameter that is different from the other populations, resulting in an electrocatalytic material that has a multimodal pore distribution. The electrocatalytic material contains a first population of pores having an average diameter of 20-60 nm and a second population of pores having an average diameter of 100-200 nm. The transition metal precursor is an iron precursor. The transitional metal precursor is cesium, chromium, copper, molybdenum, nickel, ruthenium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium, tungsten or zirconium. The silica that forms the particles in each population is HS5, M4, LM130, A90, L90, A200 or A380 silica. The material further comprises: a multi-modal pore distribution; a tri-modal pore distribution. The material comprises first and second population of pores, in which the first population of pores have an average diameter of less than or equal to 20 nm, the second population of pores have an average diameter of 40-60 nm, and a third population of pores have an average diameter of 150-200 nm. The material comprises multiple transition metals. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.