Development of Cost-Effective sPEEK/Al₂O₃ Composite Membranes with Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Durability for PEMFCs

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM)-based fuel cells are emerging fields with high efficiency, low pollutant emissions, and low material consumption. However, conventional membranes have poor thermal resistance and are expensive. Thus, alternative polymeric membranes with superior qualities and characteristics have been developed to address this issue. This study aims to develop a sulfonated polyether ether ketone (sPEEK) membrane with enhanced thermal stability, proton conductivity, and efficiency, as a cost-effective alternative for conventional PEM materials. The research focuses on overcoming the limitations of conventional membranes by incorporating alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) into the sPEEK matrix. A sulfonated polyether ether ketone (sPEEK) membrane was fabricated with varying alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) content via the simple dry phase inversion. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water uptake, swelling degree, and ionic exchange capacity (IEC) are performed for the characterization of the membranes. Through these approaches, the study analyzes the chemical structure, surface morphology, and physicochemical properties of the fabricated membranes. The fabricated sPEEK@Al 2 O 3 membranes showed that with the addition of 10 wt% of Al 2 O 3 , the water uptake, swelling degree, and IEC significantly increased in comparison with the pristine sPEEK membrane. This demonstrates that membranes with a low concentration of Al 2 O 3 effectively enhance the desired properties, making them promising candidates for polymer electrolyte membrane-based fuel cells.