Auto-programmed construction of an iron-incorporated cobalt-molybdenum complex towards enhanced electrocatalytic water oxidation

•Facile design of metal-dithiooxamide (Dto) complex of Fe-CoMo(Dto).•Fe-CoMo(Dto) complex can be used directly as electrocatalyst for OER.•In-situ electrochemical activation was occurred on Fe-CoMo(Dto) during OER test.•The so-activated Fe-CoMo(Dto) exhibits remarkable activity and stability for OER.•Structural evolutions of the Fe-CoMo(Dto) complex were observed and investigated.