High Sensitivity and Selectivity of AsP Sensor in Detecting SF₆ Decomposition Gases

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry

Background:

• Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is crucial for gas-insulated switchgear (GIS).
• Monitoring SF6 decomposition gases is vital for GIS operational safety.
• Arsenic phosphorus (AsP) is a novel 2D material with potential sensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically investigate the sensing capabilities of monolayer AsP for SF6 and its decomposition products.
• To evaluate AsP's suitability for detecting SO2 and H2S gases.
• To compare AsP's performance with black phosphorene (BP) for GIS monitoring.

Main Methods:

• First-principle calculations were employed.
• Adsorption energy, equilibrium distance, Mulliken charge transfer, and electron localization function (ELF) were computed.
• Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics were analyzed.

Main Results:

• AsP exhibits stable chemisorption with SO2 molecules.
• AsP demonstrates high sensitivity and selectivity towards SO2, with significant charge transfer.
• Adsorption of SO2 notably alters AsP's resistance, unlike other tested gases.

Conclusions:

• Monolayer AsP is a promising material for highly sensitive and selective SO2 gas detection.
• AsP-based sensors show potential for improved monitoring of online GIS compared to BP.
• This study highlights AsP's utility in detecting critical SF6 decomposition gases.