Design of interpenetrated networks of mesostructured hybrid silica and nonconductive poly(vinylidene fluoride)-cohexafluoropropylene (PVdF-HFP) polymer for proton exchange membrane fuel cell applications.

Organic-inorganic hybrid membranes of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-cohexafluoropropylene (PVdF-HFP) and mesostructured silica containing sulfonic acid groups were synthesized by using the sol-gel process. These hybrid membranes were prepared by in situ co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane and an organically modified silane (ormosil) by a self-assembly route using organic surfactants as templates for tuning the architecture of the hybrid organosilica component. In this paper, we describe the elaboration and characterization of hybrid membranes all the way from the precursor solution to the evaluation of the fuel cell performances.