MO2C nanoparticles with high specific surface area (120 m(2) g(-1)) are successfully synthesized using a typical and low-cost monosaccharide of glucose via a facile calcination and subsequent reduction process. The HER functions of the obtained MO2C nanoparticles are investigated and the effect of reduction time in hydrogen is also discussed. It is found that eta-MoC can be obtained at 800 degrees C with a reduction time of 10 min, but the formation of beta-Mo2C phase requires more than 20 min. Moreover, the beta-Mo2C obtained with a reduction time of 20 min exhibits the best HER activity with a small Tafel slope of 55 mV dec(-1) and a large current density of 60 mA cm(-2) at -200 mV, which is among the best records over Mo2C-based HER catalysts. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.