Abstract Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) consisting of cross-linked sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) with silica nanoparticles (CL-SPAEK/silica) are developed for fuel cell applications under low relative humidity (RH). CL-SPAEK/silica is prepared by the reduction reaction of the synthesized SPAEK, followed by a sulfonation reaction between the benzophenone moieties of SPAEK and the hydroxyl groups of silica nanoparticles. The cross-linked structure of CL-SPAEK/silica enhanced proton conductivity that attributed to the synergistic effect of well-connected hydrophilic proton channels and improved the dispersion of silica nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. The nanostructure of the membranes was investigated by field-emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Furthermore, CL-SPAEK/silica exhibited enhanced mechanical stability due to the effectively cross-linked networks between SPAEK and silica.

中文翻译：

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具有交联磺化聚（亚芳基醚酮）/二氧化硅的纳米结构复合膜，用于低相对湿度下的高性能聚合物电解质膜燃料电池

摘要 由交联磺化聚（亚芳基醚酮）和二氧化硅纳米粒子（CL-SPAEK/二氧化硅）组成的质子交换膜（PEM）被开发用于低相对湿度（RH）下的燃料电池应用。CL-SPAEK/二氧化硅是通过合成的 SPAEK 的还原反应制备的，然后是 SPAEK 的二苯甲酮部分与二氧化硅纳米粒子的羟基之间的磺化反应。CL-SPAEK/二氧化硅的交联结构增强了质子传导性，这归因于连接良好的亲水质子通道的协同作用，并改善了二氧化硅纳米粒子在聚合物基质中的分散。通过场发射透射电子显微镜 (FE-TEM)、原子力显微镜 (AFM) 和小角 X 射线散射 (SAXS) 研究膜的纳米结构。