seyyed Emadodin Shakeri - Department of Polymer Engineering , Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Mahdi Hasani-Sadrabadi - Department of Polymer Engineering , Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

In the present research to provide a high performance polyelectrolyte membrane with high proton conduction and low methanol permeability partially sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)(sPEEK) with various degrees of sulfonation are prepared. The optimum degree of sulfonation is determined,according to the transport properties and hydrolytic stability of the membranes. In next step,various amounts of the organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) are introduced into the sPEEK matrices via the solution intercalation technique. The selectivity parameter – ratio of proton conductivity to methanol permeability – was identified and measured for each sample in 250c. Membrane based on sPEEK / MMT 1%(cloisite30B), as the optimum nano clay composition, exhibits a high selectivity and power density at the concentrated methanol feed. Moreover, the optimum nanocomposite membrane compared to the Recast Nafion and Nafion®117 membranes. sPEEK / MMT 1%(cloisite30B)exhibits a high open circuit voltage (OCV) at the elevated methanol concentration. Owing to the high proton conductivity, reduced methanol permeability,high power density, convenient processability and low cost, sPEEK/MMT nanocomposite membranes could be considered as the alternative membranes for moderate temperature direct methanol fuel cell applications.

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone); Polymer–clay nanocomposites; Directmethanol fuel cells; Electrochemical performance; Moderate temperature