A new supramolecular film formed from a silsesquioxane derivative for application in proton exchange membranes

A new polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane ionomer (HCl-doped POSS-C11-Py) has been investigated. This new ionomer is able to self-assemble through macromers by quadruple hydrogen bonding interactions into a physically crosslinked polymer-like material that can be easily fabricated into films with micro-phase separation. This HCl-doped POSS-C11-Py membrane exhibits higher proton conductivity than a typical Nafion® membrane at high temperature, which is extremely rare for a non-sulfonic acid system. This newly developed material may provide an alternative route toward design and fabrication of a new type of proton exchange membranes.