Development of a new electrodeposited AgSbS2/FTO electrode: Comparison of supercapacitance in Li-based aqueous and organic electrolytes

Abstract

AgSbS2, or "miargyrite" material, could be a viable option for high-storage-capacity electrodes, guaranteeing exceptional performance. This document describes the production of AgSbS2/FTO thin films by the co-electrodeposition technique on Fluorine-doped-Tin-Oxide (FTO). To optimize the amount of silver, the films were deposited at a single potential −1.28/SCE, by varying [Ag+] between 0.01 and 0.03 M in aqueous conditions. Structurally, XRD-RAMAN analyses confirmed the formation of AgSbS2 thin films with cubic poly-crystallization. After elaboration, the thin films were analyzed morphologically, optically and electrochemically to better define their physico-chemical performances. This study proved through comparison that the co-electrodeposited AgSbS2/FTO electrode behaves as a pseudo-capacitor in aqueous and organic media based on LiOH (1 M) dissolved in water and acetonitrile within potential windows of [-0.9, 0 V] and [-0.8, 0.4 V]/SCE respectively. More precisely, using cyclical voltammetry (CV) analysis, the comparison revealed that the AgSbS2/FTO electrode presented a maximum specific capacity of about 1278 F/g in LiOH-water and 706 F/g in LiOH-acetonitrile. Finally, during the galvanostatic charge-discharge test, an 18 % and 4 % decrease in specific rate capacity was estimated as current density increased in LiOH-water and LiOH-acetonitrile respectively.