Recent advances in transition-metal carbides: from controlled preparation to hydrogen evolution reaction application.

With the advantages of zero-carbon emission and high gravimetric energy density, hydrogen energy is recognized as a primary choice for the future energy supply. Electrochemical water splitting provides a promising strategy for effective and sustainable hydrogen production through renewable electricity, and one of the immediate challenges toward its large-scale application is the availability of low cost and efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Given the enormous effort in the exploration of potential transition-metal carbide (TMC) electrocatalysts, the aim of this review is to summarise the recent advances in preparation and modification of TMC electrocatalysts. Special attention is focused on nanostructuring, hybridization and heteroatom doping that can regulate the surface properties of TMC electrocatalysts to improve catalytic performance. Additionally, the perspectives for the development of novel efficient TMC-based catalysts are also proposed.