Electrostatic self-assembly of graphene–silver multilayer films and their transmittance and electronic conductivity

By alternating deposition of graphene oxide (GO) sheets and silver nitrate by means of an electrostatic self-assembly method, a GO–Ag+ film was prepared. After thermal annealing, a graphene–silver nanoparticle (GE–Ag) multilayer film, with high transparency and electrically conductivity, was obtained. The transmittance of a film with four assembly cycles was 86.3%, at a wavelength of 550 nm, better than that of a pure GE film (73.8%). While the surface resistance was 97 kΩ □−1, much lower than that of a pure GE film (430 kΩ □−1). The Ag nanoparticles play a crucial role in improving the properties of the GE–Ag film, acting as conductive paths and light-trapping nanoparticles, which not only reduces the reflection of the film, but also prevents the GE sheets from aggregation and provides conductive paths between sheets, improving the electrical conductivity.