Incorporating of layered double hydroxide/sepiolite to improve the performance of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) composite membranes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) with a low sulfonation degree was blended using nanofiller layered double hydroxide (LDH, Mg2AlCl)/sepiolite nanostructured material as additive to use as an electrolyte membrane for fuel cell application. Characterization assessments, that is, mechanical stability, thermal gravimetric analysis, ion exchange capability, swelling properties, water uptake capacities, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of the composite membranes were conducted. The presence of LDH/sepiolite nanoarchitectured material within SPEEK was found to have the highest water retention and proton conductivity value at high temperature rather than LDH/SPEEK and pristine SPEEK membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]