Left: we depict non-layered TMCs as wood blocks (bottom) and TMDs as stacks of paper sheets (top), along with representative crystal structures of TMDs (2H-MoS2) and TMCs (β-Mo2C, space group P63/mmc) (right). We have also included ‘stained’ wood and paper to represent chalcogen- and carbon-doped TMCs and TMDs, respectively, along with their atomic structures. Right: representative TMC/TMD heterostructure schematics grouped by the interface formed in the structure.