<p>The transition metal-based layered double hydroxides (LDHs) in the form of ultrathin nanosheets demonstrate exceptional oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance and enhanced stability, attributes that can be ascribed to their expansive surface area, making them a burgeoning candidate as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Based on the insufficient performance of NiFe-LDH, NiFeCe-LDH grows on nickel foam (NF) was successfully designed and synthesized. The layered structure of NiFeCe-LDH facilitates the complete exposure of active sites, with Ce occupying a portion of the nickel sites, thereby serving as an active center and forming an oxygen defect structure that reduces the energy barrier for reactions and significantly enhances OER performance. In 1&#xa0;M KOH solution, the NiFeCe-LDH@NF catalyst doped with 2% Ce showed excellent OER performance, with an overpotential of 207&#xa0;mV at 10&#xa0;mA&#xa0;cm⁻², which was significantly lower than that of the precious metal RuO₂ and IrO₂, and could run stably for more than 25&#xa0;h.</p> Graphical abstract <p>A trace amount of Ce uniformly doped on NiFe LDH grows on NF, and the NiFe- layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH) is conducive to exposing the active site, and Ce occupies part of the Ni site as a new active center, which improves the catalytic performance</p>