The synthesis of thin films in multilayer structures on different textiles is of interest due to their potential use in flexible solar absorber coatings and thin-film solar cells. The aim of the study was to deposit bismuth(III) sulphide and copper(II) sulphide thin films on various textiles at the same time. This was achieved using the sustainable and cost-effective successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The study examined how the elemental distribution, phase composition, crystallinity, surface morphology, and optical features of the resulting films are determined by the intrinsic structure and material makeup of structural textiles. The analysis used data from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), as well as ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Depending on the textiles used, the formed films were polycrystalline and rich in copper. According to the findings, the normalised atomic percentages were as follows: Cu, 57.66–68.75%; Bi, 1.19–5.26%; S, 30.06–38.63%. The direct transition optical energy gap values varied from 1.3 to 2.88 eV, while the indirect varied from 0.9 to 2.25 eV, and the refractive index from 1.3 to 1.8. These properties were influenced by the composition of the textiles and the films themselves. These properties directly impact the films’ applications.

The synthesis of bismuth(III) sulphide thin films on various textiles is of interest due to their potential applications in flexible solar absorber coatings and thin-film solar cells. These thin films were formed simultaneously on textiles of different compositions and morphologies using the environmentally friendly, low-cost successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method at ambient temperature. The deposited films were characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. This paper discusses how the structure and composition of the textiles affect the phase and elemental composition, crystallinity, morphology and optical properties of the formed films. The properties of the films are then compared. Depending on the textiles used, the formed films can be amorphous or semi-crystalline, and can be rich in sulphur or near to stoichiometric. Accordingly, the normalised atomic percentages of Bi in the films range from 3.62% to 33.87%, and those of S range from 96.38% to 66.13%. The energy band gap value of the composites also varies depending on the textile substrate, ranging from Eg = 1.58 eV to Eg = 1.8 eV. These properties directly impact the films' applications.

The study aimed to form thin Bi₂S₃ films simultaneously on various textile materials using the environmentally friendly, low-cost successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method at ambient temperature, and to evaluate the influence of the textile’s composition on the resulting composites’ surface phase composition, morphology, and optical properties. The deposited films were characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. This paper discusses how the structure and composition of the textiles affect the phase and elemental composition, crystallinity, morphology and optical properties of the formed films. The properties of the films are then compared. Depending on the textiles used, the formed films can be amorphous or polycrystalline, and can be rich in sulphur or near stoichiometric. Accordingly, the normalised atomic percentages of Bi in the films range from 3.62% to 33.87%, and those of S range from 96.38% to 66.13%. The optical energy gap value of the composites also varies depending on the textile substrate, ranging from E_g = 1.58 eV to E_g = 1.8 eV. These properties directly impact the films’ applications. We have obtained a rather low value of the optical energy gap in a simpler way.