Highly proton conductive electrolyte membranes: Fiber-induced long-range ionic channels

Novel conductive inorganic fiber/polymer hybrid proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were obtained by taking advantage of sulfated zirconia (S-ZrO2) fibers made by electrospinning and post-electrospinning processes. Induced by electrospun inorganic fibers, long-range ionic channels were formed by agglomerating functional groups, which served as continuous hopping pathways for protons and significantly improved the proton conductivity of PEMs.

► Conductive inorganic fiber/polymer hybrid membranes were obtained by electrospinning.
► Long-range ionic channels were formed by functional groups distributed at the interfaces.
► Long-range ionic channels served as continuous hopping pathways for protons.
► Resultant hybrid membranes have a high proton conductivity of 3.4 × 10−1 S/cm at 100 °C.