Effect of functionalized SiO2 toward proton conductivity of composite membranes for PEMFC application

Organic-inorganic composite membranes were prepared by introducing silicon dioxide (SiO2) or functionalized SiO2 (integral-SiO2) with various particle sizes into sulfonated poly (arylene ether ketone) (SPAEK) containing pendant groups, and the membrane was manufactured via directly casting which is a cost-competitive method. The structure and morphology of the composite membranes were confirmed by H-1 NMR, FT-IR, XRD, and FE-SEM analysis which demonstrated that inorganic nanofillers were successfully introduced. The FE-SEM surface images showed that SiO2 and integral-SiO2 particles were very well dispersed within the membrane sheets. The water uptake and swelling ratio of the composite membranes including SiO2 or integral-SiO2 almost did not change when compared with the pristine SPAEK membrane. All fabricated membranes demonstrated good thermal/dimensional stabilities, robust mechanical behavior, and excellent proton conductivity. In particular, the SPAEK/integral-SiO2 composite membranes exhibited improved ionic conductivity compared with the pristine membrane at 70% relative humidity (RH) due to hydrogen bonding between SO3H groups of functionalized inorganic filler and polymer backbone. Furthermore, the maximum power density of SPAEK/integral-SiO2 reached as high as 273.11 mW cm(-2) at 60 degrees C under 70% RH. Therefore, the composite membranes with integral-SiO2 testify to great potential as polymer electrolyte membrane.