Facile and controllable fabrication of multifunctional nanohybrid films composed of reduced graphene oxide and titanium dioxide through layer-by-layer assembly

A facile fabrication strategy of multi-functional hybrid thin films of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and TiO₂ was developed by using layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato)dihydroxide (TALH) and polyallylamine grafted reduced graphene oxide (PAA-RGO) as negatively and positively charged components. The fabrication process of hybrid films was thoroughly characterized by using UV–vis spectroscopic, ellipsometric and atomic force microscopic analysis. This fabrication strategy provided precisely-controlled thickness, surface roughness through 1–10 LBL assembly cycles. By thermal treatment, the PAA-RGO and TALH in the hybrid films were respectively converted into RGO and TiO₂ with the restoration of their electrical conductivity, UV-resistance and photo-catalytic self-cleaning properties.