Exploring the dual functionality of Er2S3:Al2S3:NiS2 thin film as supercapacitor electrode and photocatalyst for efficient energy storage and pollutant degradation

Abstract

This study focuses on Er2S3:Al2S3:NiS2 thin films using diethyldithiocarbamate. The thin films exhibited a crystallite size of 37 nm, with geometrically shaped, small clustered bodies. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of core level peaks corresponding to Er4d, Al2p, Ni2p, and S2p in the material and band gap energy of 2.7 eV. Electrochemical testing using cyclic voltammetry revealed excellent performance with specific capacitance of 879 Fg−1. The thin films also exhibited satisfactory cycle stability, indicating their potential as energy storage media. Additionally, the photocatalytic activity of the material was evaluated for the degradation of various pollutants including malachite green dye, pesticide fluopyram, and phenol with 70% degradation against fluopyram with 2.03 × 10–2 min−1 rate constant. Successive cycles also presented an impressive degradation by the thin films. These findings highlight the promising potential of ternary metal sulphide thin films for diverse technological applications such as energy storage and photocatalysis.