Er2S3:Ni3S4:Co9S8 thin film as a sustainable bifunctional material for simultaneous supercapacitive energy storage and photocatalytic degradation

The present study elucidates the successful fabrication of Er2S3:Ni3S4:Co9S8 thinfilm using diethyldithiocarbamate via physical vapor deposition. A plethora of analytical techniques were employed to evaluate the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the synthesized material. The thin films exhibited a crystallite size of 37.8 nm, as evidenced by X-ray diffraction. It possessed a bandgap energy of 3.47 eV. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis demonstrated the existence of core level peaks of Er4d, S2p, Ni2p and Co2p in the thin films. The electrochemical properties of the material were evaluated via cyclic voltammetry, revealing a commendable supercapacitance performance with a specific capacitance of 553.8 Fg  1. Additionally, the thinfilm demonstrated satisfactory cycle stability, positioning it as a promising candidate for energy storage applications. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of the synthesized material was probed, particularly in its ability to decompose a range of environmental contaminants, displaying exceptional degradation of pesticide fuberidazole.