The paper reports synthesis of porous alpha-Sm2S3 thin films using modified chemical synthesis, also known as successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), wettability and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) techniques are used for the study of structural, elemental, morphological and optical properties of alpha-Sm2S3 films. An orthorhombic crystal structure of alpha-Sm2S3 is resulted from XRD study. The SEM and AFM observations showed highly porous alpha-Sm2S3 film surface. An optical band gap of 2.50 eV is estimated from optical absorption spectrum. The porous alpha-Sm2S3 thin film tuned for supercapacitive behaviour using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge discharge showed a specific capacitance and energy density of 294 Fg(-1) and 48.9 kWkg(-1), respectively in 1 M LiClO4-propylene carbonate electrolyte. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.