Electrocatalytic materials and methods of making the electrocatalytic materials are provided. Such a method may comprise forming precursor nanosheets comprising a precursor metal on a surface of a substrate; exposing the precursor nanosheets to a modifier solution comprising a polar, aprotic solvent and a metal salt at a temperature and for a period of time, the metal salt comprising a metal cation and an anion, thereby forming modified precursor nanosheets; and calcining the modified precursor nanosheets for a period of time to form an electrocatalytic material comprising structurally modified nanosheets and the substrate, each nanosheet extending from the surface of the substrate and having a solid matrix. The solid matrix defines pores distributed throughout the solid matrix and comprises a precursor metal oxide and domains of another metal oxide distributed throughout the precursor metal oxide; or the solid matrix comprises the precursor metal oxide and nanoparticles of the another metal oxide distributed on a surface of the solid matrix.