Proton Conductivity Amelioration of Sulfonated Poly Ether Sulfone Octyl Sulfonamide via the Incorporation of Montmorillonite

An electrolytic membrane for fuel cell application was fabricated by blending sulfonated poly ether sulfone octyl sulfonamide (SPESOS) with montmorillonite (MMT) clay at different proportions (1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, and 6 wt.%). The structural functionality, surface morphology, and thermal stability of the resultant composite membranes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Interestingly, the thermal properties of the composite membranes were improved compared to pristine SPESOS. Furthermore, proportions as low as 0.1 wt.% in the MMT/SPESOS composite membrane showed superior proton conductivity to the SPESOS membrane. Thus, we propose the MMT/SPESOS composite membrane as a promising material for the electrolytic membrane in fuel cells at temperatures above 100°C.