Patent ID: 8735013

Claim:
A method of fabricating a composite membrane structure for a fuel cell, said method comprising depositing, from a liquid solution, a substantially continuous and non-porous proton-conducting inorganic oxide layer on an organic proton-exchange membrane comprising a proton-conducting polymer, wherein said inorganic oxide layer comprises at least one proton-conducting metal oxide; wherein said method comprises the steps of: (a) combining a metal and hydrogen peroxide into a starting solution, optionally with removal of heat arising from formation of said metal oxide in said starting solution; (b) substantially neutralizing said hydrogen peroxide in said starting solution, thereby generating a neutralized solution; (c) adding a wetting agent to said neutralized solution; (d) disposing at least some of said neutralized solution from step (c) onto one face of said organic proton-exchange membrane, thereby generating a coating; and (e) curing said coating from step (d) at a curing temperature, thereby forming said inorganic oxide layer.