Synthesis of organic/inorganic nanocomposites protonic conducting membranethrough sol-gel processes

High temperature protonic conducting polymer membranes provide new technolo gical applications in the electrochemical devices including electrochromic displays, chemical sensors, fuel cells and others. Organic/inorganic nanoco mposites membranes, consisting of SiO2/PEO (Polyethylene Oxides) hybrids, a re a remarkable family of isotropic, amorphous polymer materials, which hav e been synthesized through sol-gel processes. The hybrid membrane doped wit h acidic surfactant molecules shows good protonic conductivities at high te mperatures above 100 degrees C. The membrane was found to be thermally stab le at high temperatures because of the inorganic SiO2 framework in the comp osites matrix. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.