Room temperature monitoring of SF6decomposition byproduct SO2F2based on TiO2/NiSO4composite nanofibers.

Sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2) is one of the ideal decomposition components of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which is widely used as an insulating and arc extinguishing medium in gas-insulated switchgear. To detect the decomposition component of SF6at room temperature, the use of SO2F2is still a challenge. In this work, we have successfully fabricated TiO2nanofibers and nickel sulfate (NiSO4NPs) via simple electrospun and hydrothermal methods, followed by calcination process to improve the sensing performance. Metal oxide semiconductor materials (MOSs) are widely used in gas sensing applications due to their superior performance and fast recovery speed. Although the performance of our TiO2/NiSO4composite nanofiber sensor decreases at higher temperatures, it shows an excellent response to target gasses at room temperature. Ni-decoration on the outer surface of the nanofibers could maximize the sensing response of 100 ppm SO2F2by up to 189% at room temperature, showing that the TiO2/NiSO4composite nanofibers are 2.5 times superior to the pure TiO2nanofiber sensors. Thus, the approach for this novel composite nanofiber-based material is promising for the fabrication of superior gas sensors for decomposition of SF6.