Indirect optical transitions in hybrid spheres with alternating layers of titania and graphene oxide nanosheets.

In this report, we studied the optical properties of hybrid spherical structures consisting of alternating nanosheets of titania (TiO(2)) and graphene oxide (GO) prepared by a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. Compared to samples with only TiO(2) spheres or GO nanosheets, a blue-to-red light emission band emerges and persists in this novel composite material even after it was further reduced through microwave irradiation. From detailed time-resolved measurements and energy-level structure modeling, this unexpected fluorescent feature was attributed to the indirect optical transitions between TiO(2) and the localized sp(2) domains of GO in a charge-separated configuration.