Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry characterization of reduced graphene oxide stabilized with poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)

Lately, the optical properties of Graphene Oxide (GO) and Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO) films have been studied in the ultraviolet and visible spectral range. However, the accurate optical properties in the extended near-infrared and mid-infrared range have not been published yet. In this work, we report a Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (VASE) characterization of GO thin films dip-coated on SiO₂/Si substrates and thermally reduced GO films in the [0.38-4.1] eV photon energy range. Moreover, the optical properties of RGO stabilized with poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) films dip-coated on SiO₂/Si substrates are studied in the same range for the first time. The Lorentz optical models fit well the experimental data. In addition, the morphological properties of the samples were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis.