Modelling of transport properties of perfluorinated one- and bilayer membranes modified by polyaniline decorated clay nanotubes

•perfluorinated membranes doped by PANI-halloysite nanotubes are made.•two-layer composites have transport asymmetry depending on orientation.•link of bi-layer membranes structure vs. transport properties is established. Several single- and bilayer sulfocationite membranes MF-4SC modified by PANI-halloysite nanotubes are manufactured utilizing dimethylformamide as a solvent and applying two different methods: airbrushing and casting. Electrical conductivity, diffusion permeability, current-voltage curves are examined for the produced nanocomposite single- and bilayer membranes. It is shown that hybrid bilayer perfluorinated sulfocationic membranes demonstrate the asymmetry of transport properties in dependence on their orientation towards the counterions’ flux. The introduction of PANI-halloysite into the perfluorinated matrix of the MF-4SC membrane leads, in some samples, to decrease in diffusion permeability and in an increase in conductivity, without substantial change in the limiting current density. Comparing the theoretically calculated quantities, like the integral coefficient of diffusion permeability, specific electrical conductivity and the limiting current density in dependence on electrolyte concentration to their experimental values for studied samples, we have found the physicochemical parameters of one- and bilayer cation-exchange perfluorinated membranes modified with PANI-halloysite nanotubes in order to predict their transport properties upon changing the external conditions. This is important for evaluation of capability of the separating membranes in low-temperature fuel cells and electrical devices, like sensors and diodes. [Display omitted]