INVESTIGATION OF STRUCTURAL, MORPHOLOGY AND SELF-CLEANING PROPERTIES OF GO:AG, GO:SI AND GO:ZN NANO-COMPOSITES THIN FILMS SYNTHESIZED BY SPRAY PYROLYSIS TECHNIQUE
A wide variety of approaches have been explored by researchers in the attempt to attain a system with controllable wetting properties. The hydrophilic surfaces can be used in anti-fogging applications, biomedical, filtration, heat pipes, and many others. hydrophilic surface has strong affinity to water whereas hydrophobic surface repel water. In this research, the synthesis of graphene oxide- silver, graphene oxide- silica and graphene oxide-zinc nano-composite were done by spray pyrolysis method in order to investigate their self-cleaning properties. The nano-composite thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission transmission electron microscope (FE-SEM) . The xrd results confirm the formation of desired thin films. Atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to calculate the thickness and RMS value of thin films. RMS values for GO, GO:Ag, GO:Si and GO:Zn thin films were 17.57, 185.78, 125.64, 37.23 nm, respectively. According to the results of contact angle and AFM images, GO:Zn thin film has the lowest roughness and therefore the lowest contact angle and a relatively good hydrophilic surface.
Keywords: GO:Ag Nano-Composite, GO:Si Nano-composites, GO:Zn Nano-Composite, Thin Film, Self-Cleaning Properties