The electrolysis of water provides a link between electrical energy and hydrogen, a high energy density fuel and a versatile energy carrier, but the process is very expensive. Indeed, the main challenge is to reduce energy consumption for large-scale applications using efficient renewable catalysts that can be produced at low cost. Here we present for the first time that laccase can catalyze electrooxidation of H₂O to molecular oxygen. Native and laboratory-evolved laccases immobilized onto electrodes serve as bioelectrocatalytic systems with low overpotential and a high O₂ evolution ratio against H₂O₂ production during H₂O electrolysis. Our results open new research ground on H₂O splitting, as they overcome serious practical limitations associated with artificial electrocatalysts currently used for O₂ evolution.

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