A systematic and comparative investigation of 18 different IVB-VIB transition metal carbides, nitrides, sulfides, suicides and borides as well as of the three main group element ceramics AlN, B4C and h-RN for their electrocatalytic performance towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is presented. We exploited the voltammetry of immobilised particles as a method that allows a rapid electrocatalyst screening and characterisation. The performances of the electrocatalysts - by means of the overpotential of the hydrogen evolution reaction in 100 mM H2SO4 - were compared with platinum and nickel as benchmarks. Although none of the catalyst materials investigated reached the performance of platinum with respect to overpotential and stability, the electrocatalytic properties of several compounds, i.e. tungsten and molybdenum carbide but also of tungsten boride calls for continuative work. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.