Preparation and Xylene‐Sensing Properties of Co ₃ O ₄ Nanofibers

Abstract

Co 3 O 4 nanofibers were prepared by an electrospinning method and characterized by differential thermal and thermal gravimetric analyzer ( DTA ‐ TGA ), X‐ray diffraction ( XRD ), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer ( FT ‐ IR ), and scanning electron microscopy ( SEM ). Xylene‐sensing properties of the as‐prepared nanofibers were also investigated in detail. The results showed that the morphology of the as‐prepared fibers was largely influenced by the calcination temperature. The Co 3 O 4 nanofibers calcined at 500°C exhibited the highest response to xylene in a wide concentration range. Moreover, Co 3 O 4 nanofibers calcined at 500°C also exhibited good selectivity, fast response (15 s) and recovery (22 s) rate at a low operating temperatures of 255°C. These properties make the fabricated nanofibers good candidates for xylene detection.