Patent ID: 8465857

Claim:
A process for making a proton-exchange membrane, the process comprising: forming a metal-implanted hybrid inorganic-organic polymer through a sol-gel polymerization of one or more silane precursors in a medium containing metal cations, the metal-implanted hybrid inorganic-organic polymer having an inorganic portion comprising silicon, oxygen, and implanted metal cations; and exposing the metal-implanted hybrid inorganic-organic polymer to an acid compound, so as to form the proton-exchange membrane, the acid compound directly attaching to the metal-implanted hybrid inorganic-organic polymer through an interaction between the acid compound and the implanted metal cations, the acid compound being selected from a group of compounds consisting of free mineral acids and organic acids, the interaction between the implanted metal cations and the acid compound having an electron withdrawing effect on the acid compound, so as to increase proton mobility within the proton-exchange membrane.