Preparation and Properties of Hybrid Silane-crosslinked Sulfonated Poly(aryl ether ketone)s as Proton Exchange Membranes

A series of novel organic-inorganic hybrid proton-conducting electrolyte membranes with silane-crosslinked sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone)(SC-SPAEK) networks was prepared via a simple procedure that includes solution casting and acid treatment. The organosilicon pendants of the silane-grafted SPAEK, which were expected to serve as coupling and crosslinking agents, were found to play a key role in the homogenous dispersion of inorganic particles and improved the performance of hybrid membranes. The hybrid membranes exhibited enhanced proton conductivity, and SC-SPAEK/TiO2-4 showed an extremely high proton conductivity of 0.1472 S/cm at 100 degrees C. The crosslinked hybrid membranes also demonstrated good chemical resistance, oxidative stability, and mechanical properties. The crosslinked hybrid membranes with excellent comprehensive performance may be a promising material for proton exchange membrane fuel cells.