Synthesis of organic-inorganic composite membrane by sol-gel process

Silica was succesfully incorporated into cation exchange polymer membranes, CL-25T and Nafion 417, utilizing sol-gel process. As dipping time increased, increase in silica uptake in membrane was observed. In Nafion 417 membrane, no relationship was found between the silica uptake and the change in ion exchange capacity. But CL-25T which has larger pores than Nafion 417 shows proportional decrease in ion exchange capacity with increasing silica uptake. It suggests that the pore structure of membrane and the size control of silica sol are important to modify the structure of composite membranes. In CL-25T membranes modified by silica, the transport rate of IPA (isopropyl alcohol) increased with increasing OH^- concentration on the pore surface.