Supercapacitor performance enhancement with the BaS3:Cu2S:Mn2S trichalcogenide semiconductor synthesized via dithiocarbamate precursors

Abstract

Due to its potential uses, including e-vehicles, electrochemical energy storage has attracted a lot of interest from the scientific community and energy stakeholders. With the usage of the novel semiconductor chalcogenide BaS₃:Cu₂S:Mn₂S, which is synthesized by chelating with diethyldithiocarbamate ligand, the current work seeks to enhance the performance of charge-storage devices. An energy band gap of 2.57 eV was found for this semiconductor, which showed remarkable photoactivity. The chalcogenide that was produced had favorable crystallinity, with an average crystallite size of 26.92 nm and mixed crystalline phases. Additionally, metallic sulfide linkages were identified using infrared spectroscopy, and they were reported to range from 400 to 845 cm⁻¹. Thermal breakdown in two steps was verified using thermogravimetric analysis. Particles with different forms and a rod-like fusion suggested a higher volume–surface area ratio and many locations. The electrochemical performance of the BaS₃:Cu₂S:Mn₂S was evaluated using a traditional three-electrode setup with a background electrolyte of 1-M KOH. BaS₃:Cu₂S:Mn₂S is a great electrode material for energy storage applications, with a specific power density of 10 618 W kg⁻¹ and a specific capacitance of up to 694 F g⁻¹. The same series resistance (R_s) = 0.46 Ω further supported this remarkable electrochemical performance.