The solid electrolyte membrane for a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell was prepared and investigated from the potential of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) embedded together with montmorillonite (MMT). Acid hydrophilized poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) and MMT with varying sulfonation levels of 25-70% prepared through solvent casting were investigated for their performance. The nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectra at 7.5ppm affirmed the occurrence of sulfonation reaction, and its degree was studied by both ¹H NMR and titration method. The reaction time was varied to achieve sulfonation levels from 25 to 70%. The effect of incorporation of pristine and sulfonated MMT into SPEEK was examined. The membranes, prepared using solvent casting technique, were involved for water uptake over the wide range of temperature, thermal stability, and proton conductivity measurements. The cross-sectional surface arrangement of the membrane and clay dispersion was deliberated using SEM. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) single cell’s tests revealed that sulfonated PEEK membrane demonstrated service performance comparable to that of Nafion, as validated using MATLAB software.

Keywords: poly(ether ether ketone), fuel cell performance, proton conductivity, sulfonated montmorillonite