Electron beam deposited (Cu2S-CdS)GO thin film as active electrode for supercapacitor and enhanced photocatalyst for water remediation

Metal sulfides conjugated graphene oxide (GO) have captivated researchers owing to the elaborated opto-electrochemical and photocatalytic properties. Current research reports the synthesis of Copper sulfide (CuS) and cadmium sulfide (CdS) bimetal sulfide GO composite by single-source precursor using diethyl dithiocarbamate ligand. The synthesized alloy was deposited through electron beam deposition system. Characterization of the thin films was done by various techniques including, XRD, UV-visible spectrophotometry, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Electrochemical properties were investigated through cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry using 3-M KOH. Degradation of toxicants such as methyl red dye, pesticide isopyrazam, and phenol was done by the thin film to evaluate its photocatalytic characteristic. (CuS-CdS)GO thin film showed separate bandgaps for CuS and CdS as 2.04 and 3.3 eV. A hexagonal crystal system for (Cu2S-CdS)GO was observed through XRD with an average crystal size of 50 nm. A cubic shape with globular edges was detected by SEM investigation. An impressive specific capacitance value of 35 F g(-1) at 100 mV s(-1) proved it as a promising electrode for supercapacitors. A remarkable photocatalytic degradation rate was obtained by the thin film for all the toxicants with the highest rate for pesticide, that is, 81% under just 60 minutes, which remained >70% even after four successive cycles. The profound electrochemical and photocatalytic properties of (Cu2S-CdS)GO thin film make it an auspicious material for optical, electrical, and photo-devices.

Automated summary

This study reports the synthesis of copper sulfide and cadmium sulfide bimetal sulfide graphene oxide composite using a single-source precursor and ligand. The thin films exhibited excellent opto-electrochemical and photocatalytic properties, making them promising materials for supercapacitor electrodes and optoelectronic devices.