Thicknesses of the FGO-CMMCs prepared at 0.25 and 0.5 A/dm 2 were 18.4 and 18.3 μm, respectively, close to the 20 μm thicknesses targetted for the project (Figure ). The surface morphology of the FGO-CMMC, GO-CMMC and Cu Ref coatings was assessed by white light (WL) interferometry and SEM. The equivalent GO-CMMC and Cu Ref coatings were also produced; their topographical features are ascribed in detail in the ESI (Figure ). It can be observed that FGO-CMMC and GO-CMMC coatings have a similar topography across the whole substrate; the surface of the coating is mostly level but is perturbed by a significant number of additional growths that protrude over the level-plated surface (Figure ). The sizes of these growths range from a few microns to up to ~60 μm. Often, FGO and GO nanosheets are found embedded inside these growths protruding from its core, as identified by SEM imaging (Figure , ESI Figure ). All nanosheets identified within the composites showed no copper nanoparticle growth on their surface, suggesting the graphitic sheets are anchored into the Cu coating only by edge interactions before further coating growth captures the nanosheets within the copper heterophase. The surfaces of both FGO-CMMC and GO-CMMC coatings contain microfractures (Figures and). These cracks arise from the strain-fracturing of grain boundaries between dislocation growths of differing orientations after deposition. It appears that, from both mechanical and tribological data presented later that these fractures are superficial, and do not impact the integrity of the coating during tribological testing.