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[Display omitted] • Fabrication of nickel-cobalt nanocage for oxygen evolution reactions. • Excellent oxygen evolution reaction performance with overpotential of 350 mV. • Synergic effect of cobalt-nickel catalyst improves the conductivity and charge transfer. The development of efficient, eco-friendly, and inexpensive electrocatalysts has become crucial and significant in water-splitting applications. Herein, we developed a nickel-cobalt nanocage (Ni/Co-NC) electrocatalyst via the solvothermal method which can boost the performances towards oxygen evolution reactions (OER) and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). The Ni/Co-NC reveals significant performance at an onset potential of 350 mV for the OER at a delivered current density of 10 mA cm−2. The significant amount of oxygen vacancies generated by the addition of nickel in cobalt has been verified by XPS and the nanocage structure revealed by TEM and SEM images helps in effective performance for OER/HER. Furthermore, the synergistic effect between various Ni3+/Ni2+ and Co2+ could optimize the performance resulting in a smaller Tafel slope of 70 mV dec−1 for Ni/Co-NC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nickel deposited catalysts using Zeolitic-Imidazolate Frameworks-67 as a precursor were synthesized. • The catalysts exhibited higher catalytic activities for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. • The catalysts show low overpotential and high stability. Zeolitic imidazolate framework containing cobalt and nickel (Co- and Ni-ZIF-67) were used as a precursor to perform Ni deposition, in order to obtain enhanced catalytic activity and nanocatalysts. Co or Ni embedded in the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were obtained by the heat treatment of Co- or Ni-ZIF-67. On Co or Ni embedded CNTs, Ni-deposition was performed to obtain the Ni-deposited catalysts, Ni-CNT-(Co or Ni), which have a higher surface area of 136.7 and 259 m2/g, respectively. These catalysts exhibit superior performance, low overpotential, and high stability for both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. The superior performance is attributed to metal deposition, which creates highly active catalytic sites and has potential application as a catalyst for the rechargeable zinc-air battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]