Tuning the structural as well as optical characteristics of ZiF-8 thin coatings through inclusion of reduced graphene oxide: a comparative study

The optical properties that define the characteristics of optical thin films are highly relevant since they determine the applicability of the thin films in optical and photoelectric products. The prospect of being able to design optical properties is one of the most challenging objectives in the generation of optical materials. In recent years, Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)-based optical thin films have attracted much attention because of their characteristic optical characteristics and the fact that they are built with modules to control related properties. This work aims to understand the effect of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the structural and optical characteristics of Zinc-based metal-organic framework (ZiF-8) thin films. The incorporation of rGO into ZiF-8 thin films was done, and the thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The transmittance decreased with increasing the rGO concentrations. The energy gap of the pure ZiF-8 thin films has been negatively impacted by the addition of rGO. The photon energy was 3.45 eV for 7.5% rGO, which is the lowest value, and 3.72 eV for ZiF-8 thin films pure film, which is the highest value. The results of this study suggest that the inclusion of rGO in ZiF-8 thin coatings can be a promising approach for tuning the structural and optical properties of ZiF-8 thin coatings, which can have potential applications in various fields such as photocatalysis, sensing, and optoelectronics.