Multilayer films of exfoliated 2D oxide nanosheets by electrospray deposition

The potential of the electrospray deposition technique as new method to make nanosheet-based multilayer films is evaluated. Densely packed nanosheet-based films with thicknesses of 1-20 nm with rms roughnesses of 2.1-2.4 nm were fabricated on samples of 1 cm² size with a growth rate of 0.5 nm/min. Electrosprayed Ti_0.87O₂ nanosheet films were successfully used as oriented growth templates for 40 nm perovskite SrRuO₃ thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. The electrospray method provides a fast and easy alternative to the more commonly used Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition method for nanosheet films.