Patent ID: 8362096

Claim:
A method of making a proton conductive polymer comprising: combining a fullerene with a spacer-molecule precursor wherein each of said spacer-molecule precursors is at least partially fluorinated molecule; adding a linking molecular precursor to form a plurality of cross-linked first reaction products; and protonating the cross-linked first reaction product so as to form a polymeric compound including a proton conductive functional group attached to said fullerene by a spacer molecule that is formed from said spacer-molecule precursor that is at least partially fluorinated; wherein said fullerenes are C 60 , said spacer-molecule precursors are I—CF 2 —CF 2 —O —CF 2 —CF 2 —SO 2 F, and said linking-molecule precursors are I—(CF 2 ) 8 —I; and wherein said step of forming the first reaction product. said step is carried out with a one equivalent amount of C 60 , a twenty-four equivalent amount of I—CF 2 —CF 2 —O—CF 2 —CF 2 —SO 2 F, and a twenty-four equivalent amount of 1-(CF 2 ) 8 —I, in a solution of 1:1 C 6 F 6 /CS 2 at a temperature of about 200° C. for about 96 hours, wherein said cross-linked first reaction product is of the general formula: wherein y is a natural number of at least two, and n is a natural number of up to about 8.