Improvement of the barrier properties of Nafion® by fluoro-modified montmorillonite

Montmorillonite (MMT) was modified by two types of cationic fluorosurfactants in order to improve compatibility with and dispersion within Nafion® membranes. Perfluoropolyether-containing cationic surfactant improved efficiency, by improving the barrier properties of Nafion® towards methanol. Moreover, the fluoro-modified MMT had no deleterious impact on the ionic conductivity of the membranes in contrast to conventional organo-modified MMT. The performances of a small size fuel cell were accordingly improved.