Preparation and Applications of Hybrid Ion Exchange Membranes

Organic-inorganic hybrid ion exchange membranes have been developing into a fascinated new field of research since their emergence in 1980s, because of their potential applications in such fields as fuel cells, electrochemical analysis and sensing, electro-membrane separation, diffusion dialysis, etc. Based on the work of our research group, the recent development of the preparation and application technologies (especially during the latest 5 years) is reviewed in this paper. Preparation methods including sol-gel process, blending, in situ infiltration and precipitation are elaborated, and the applications in fuel cells, electrochemical analysis, sensing, electro-membrane separation, diffusion dialysis, microfiltration, nanofiltration and pervaporation are summarized. Finally, the brief summary and comments on their future development are prospected.