Metal carbides with particular phases have shown to be promising catalysts and supporting materials for high efficiency catalysis by choosing suitable decorating elements.Thinning metal carbides down to two dimension can result in nontrivial properties such as superconductivity. The versatile chemistry of metal carbides offers the tunability for applications in Li-ion, Na-ion batteries and supercapacitors. However, from the point of view of surface and interface science, fundamental study at molecular/atomic levels which is crucial for understanding the origin of these superior properties, as well as the mechanism underlying interface catalysis is still missing. Furthermore, deviation of theoretical calculations from real conditions requires the building of model catalysts to mimic surface processes. In analogy with classical oxide/metal systems, we propose that scanning tunneling microscopy combined with in-situ chemical vapor deposition and molecular beam epitaxy would be powerful tools for both the controllable growth of two-dimensional metal carbides and the realization of atomic information during surface reactions. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.