Graphene−Silica Composite Thin Films as Transparent Conductors

Transparent and electrically conductive composite silica films were fabricated on glass and hydrophilic SiO x /silicon substrates by incorporation of individual graphene oxide sheets into silica sols followed by spin-coating, chemical reduction, and thermal curing. The resulting films were characterized by SEM, AFM, TEM, low-angle X-ray reflectivity, XPS, UV−vis spectroscopy, and electrical conductivity measurements. The electrical conductivity of the films compared favorably to those of composite thin films of carbon nanotubes in silica.