Properties of hybrid materials derived from hydroxy‐containing linear polyester and silica through sol–gel process. I. Effect of thermal treatment

The transparent hybrid material, HLP/SiO₂, was prepared by an in situ sol–gel process of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) at 30°C in the presence of hydroxy‐containing linear polyester (HLP) obtained by ring‐opening reaction of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with adipic acid under the catalyzation of triphenylphosphine (TPP). The hetero‐associated hydrogen bonds between the HLP and the residual silanol of silica in the hybrids were investigated by FTIR spectroscopy. Upon heating the hybrid, the interfacial force between the HLP matrix and the silica network changed from hydrogen bonds into covalent Si—O—C bonds through dehydration of hydroxy groups in HLP with residual silanol groups in the silica network. The existence of covalent Si—O—C bonds was proved by solid‐state ²⁹Si‐NMR spectra. Other properties such as tensile strength, glass transition temperature (T_g ), solubility, and thermal stability of the hybrids before and after heat treatment were studied in detail. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 1179–1190, 2000     

Free‐standing hybrid anion‐exchange membranes for application in fuel cells

A series of free‐standing hybrid anion‐exchange membranes were prepared by blending brominated poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide) (BPPO) with poly(vinylbenzyl chloride‐co‐γ‐methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane) (poly(VBC‐co‐γ‐MPS)). Apart from a good compatibility between organic and inorganic phases, the hybrid membranes had a water uptake of 32.4–51.8%, tensile strength around 30 MPa, and T_d temperature at 5% weight loss around 243–261°C. As compared with the membrane prepared from poly (VBC‐co‐γ‐MPS), the hybrid membranes exhibited much better flexibility, and larger ion‐exchange capacity (2.19–2.27 mmol g^?1) and hydroxyl (OH^?) conductivity (0.0067–0.012 S cm^?1). In particular, the hybrid membranes with 60–75 wt % BPPO had the optimum water uptake, miscibility between components, and OH^? conductivity, and were promising for application in fuel cells. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Effect of pendant group of polysiloxanes on the thermal and mechanical properties of polybenzoxazine hybrids

Polybenzoxazine (PBa) was successfully hybridized with polysiloxanes by synchronizing two reactions; ring-opening polymerization of benzoxazine (Ba) and sol–gel process of diethoxysilanes. Diethoxydimethylsilane, diethoxymethylphenylsilane, and diethoxydiphenylsilane were used as precursors for the formation of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polymethylphenylsiloxane (PMPS), and polydiphenylsiloxane (PDPS), respectively. The effect of pendant group of polysiloxane on the optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of PBa–polysiloxane hybrids was studied. The progress of sol–gel process was confirmed by IR, ¹H NMR and size exclusion chromatography. Opaque PBa–PDMS hybrid films were obtained up to 15 wt% of PDMS content, corresponding to the phase separation with 1–2 μm domain size of PDMS as observed from the scanning electron microscope. Meanwhile, transparent PBa–polysiloxane hybrid films were obtained up to 29 wt% for PMPS and 36 wt% for PDPS, which revealed no apparent domain of PMPS and PDPS, indicating high compatibility of the polysiloxanes with PBa. Dynamic viscoelastic analysis (DMA) of the PBa–PDMS hybrid revealed two glass transition temperatures corresponding to PDMS and PBa components, while the DMA of the PBa–PMPS and PBa–PDPS hybrids revealed only one glass transition temperature. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the hybrid films increased with increasing polysiloxane content. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed high weight residue at 850 °C for PBa–polysiloxanes with phenyl group.     

Balance of mechanical and electrical performance in polyimide/nano titanium dioxide prepared by an in‐sol method

Hybrid polyimide (PI)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films were prepared by in situ polymerization and sol–gel and in‐sol methods (where in‐sol method indicates that in situ polymerization and the sol–gel method were used in the same samples). The mechanical and electrical properties were found to be sensitive to the processing methods and the dispersion of nano titanium dioxide (nano‐TiO₂) in the PI matrix. For the PI/TiO₂ films prepared by the in situ polymerization method, their tensile strength increased with increasing TiO_{2‐in situ} (“TiO_{2‐in situ}” is “the TiO₂ nano‐particles prepared by in situ polymerization method”) concentration. However, the optimal corona lifetime of the PI/TiO₂ films was 15 min at 20 kHz and 2 kV because of poor dispersion. For the PI/TiO₂ films prepared by the sol–gel method, the corona lifetime reached 113 min because of superior dispersion and a tensile strength of about 19.63 MPa. A balance of mechanical and electrical performances was achieved with the in‐sol method. The corona‐resistant life of the PI/TiO₂ films was 43 min, which was about six times longer than that of the neat PI. Their tensile strength was 83.5 MPa; these films showed no decrease in this value compared with the pure PI films. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44666.     

Properties and preparation of thermoplastic polyurethane/silica hybrid using sol–gel process

A thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer/silica hybrid (TPU/SiO₂) was prepared using the sol–gel process. This work was undertaken to investigate the thermal and physical properties of this type of hybrid by employing different catalyst systems during sol–gel processing. Two types of catalyst systems including acetic acid (HOAc) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) were used to prepare sol particles. The mixing of the sol solution and TPU solution was then carried out to form a TPU/silica hybrid. Fourier transform IR spectra and dynamic mechanical properties were recorded to depict the enhanced interfacial interaction. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the actual silica content forming in the hybrid and to evaluate the heat resistance of the hybrid. Mechanical properties such as the tensile strength and cutting strength were investigated at various concentrations of in situ silica. The tensile strength increased at all concentrations of silica. In contrast, the cutting strength decreased, probably because of a reduction of the energy dissipation from silica as physical crosslinks. The HOAc catalyzed system showed better optical properties than the HCl catalyzed system. The fracture surface was revealed through scanning electron microscopy to observe the degree of dispersion of SiO₂, which in turn confirmed the results for the optical and mechanical properties. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1316–1325, 2005     

Preparation and properties of rigid‐rod polyimide/silica hybrid materials by sol–gel process

Polyimide (PI) materials with a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) while still retaining high strength and toughness are desirable in various applications. In this study a sol–gel process was used to incorporate silica into homopolyimides and copolyimides with highly rigid structures in an attempt to pursue this aim. A number of highly rigid monomers were used, including pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), p‐phenylene diamine (PPA), m‐phenylene diamine (MPA), benzidine, 2,4‐diaminotoluene, and o‐toluidine. No homopolyimide flexible films were obtained. However, it was possible to obtain flexible films from the copolyimides. Therefore, a copolyimide based on PPA, MPA, and PMDA (PPA/MPA = 2/1 mol) was then chosen as the matrix to prepare the PI/silica hybrids. Flexible films were obtained when the silica content was below 40 wt %. The hybrid films possessed low in‐plane CTEs ranging from 14.9 to 31.1 ppm with the decrease of the silica content. The copolyimide film was strengthened and toughened with the introduction of an appropriate amount of silica. The thermal stability and the Young's modulus of the hybrid films increased with the increase of the silica content. The silica particle size was assessed by scanning electron microscopy and was about 100 nm for the hybrids containing 10 and 20 wt % silica and 200–500 nm for the hybrids containing 30 and 40 wt % silica. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 794–800, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of novel polyimide/SiO2 nanocomposite materials containing phenylphosphine oxide via sol‐gel technique

In this article, a series of novel polyimide/silica (PI/SiO₂) nanocomposite coating materials were prepared from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), γ‐glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOTMS), and polyamic acid (PAA) via sol‐gel technique. PAA was prepared by the reaction of 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and bis (3‐aminophenyl) phenyphosphine oxide (BAPPO) in N‐methyl‐2‐ pyrrolidone (NMP). BAPPO was synthesized hydrogenation of bis (3‐nitrophenyl) phenyphosphine oxide (BNPPO) in the presence of Pd/C. The silica content in the hybrid coating materials was varied from 0 to 20 wt %. The molecular structures of the composite materials were analyzed by means of FT‐IR and ²⁹Si‐NMR spectroscopy techniques. The physical and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were evaluated by various techniques such as, hardness, contact angle, and optical transmission and tensile tests. These measurements revealed that all the properties of the nanocomposite coatings were improved noticeable, by the addition of sol‐gel precursor into the coating formulation. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the incorporation of sol‐gel precursor into the polyimide matrix leads to an enhancement in the thermal stability and also flame resistance properties of the coating material. The surface morphology of the hybrid coating was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM studies indicated that nanometer‐scaled inorganic particles were homogenously dispersed throughout the polyimide matrix © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Characterization and properties of UV‐curable polyurethane‐acrylate/silica hybrid materials prepared by the sol‐gel process

UV‐curable, transparent hybrid material of urethane‐acrylate resin was prepared by the sol‐gel process using 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate (TMSPM) as a coupling agent between the organic and inorganic phases. The effects of the content of acid and silica on the morphology and mechanical properties of UV‐curable polyurethane‐acrylate/silica hybrid (UA‐TMSPM)/SiO₂ materials have been studied. The results of thermogravimetric analysis for the (UA‐TMSPM)/SiO₂ hybrid materials indicated that the thermal stability of the hybrids is greatly improved. It was found that with the increase of HCl content, the interfacial interaction between organic and inorganic phases had been strengthened, as demonstrated by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Without sacrificing flexibility, the hybrid materials showed improved hardness with increasing content of acid and silica. Compared with the pure organic counterpart UA/hexanediol diacrylate (UA/HDDA) system, abrasion resistance of the hybrids improved with increasing acid content, at low silica content. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Organic base‐catalyzed sol–gel route to prepare PMMA–silica hybrid materials

A series of sol–gel‐derived organic–inorganic hybrid materials that comprise organic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and inorganic silica (SiO₂) was successfully prepared using aniline as an organic base catalyst to catalyze the sol–gel reactions of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). Aniline was adopted not only as a catalyst but also as a dispersing agent during the preparation of the hybrid materials. The as‐prepared hybrid materials were then characterized using transmission electron microscopy, SEM/energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The characteristic temperatures (including T_d and T_g) of the hybrid materials slightly exceeded those of neat PMMA, as revealed from thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry evaluations. Studies of the protection against corrosion demonstrated that the hybrid coatings all improved the protection performance on cold‐rolled steel coupons relative to that of neat PMMA coatings, according to measurements of electrochemical corrosion parameters. Additionally, incorporating silica particles into the polymer may effectively reduce the gas permeability of the polymer membrane. Reducing the size of silica particles (at the same silica feeding) further improved the gas barrier property. Optical clarity studies indicated that introducing silica particles into the PMMA matrix may slightly reduce the optical clarity of the films/membranes, as determined by UV‐visible transmission spectroscopy. The contact angle of H₂O of the hybrid films increased with the amount of aniline. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry Society of Chemical Industry     

SiO2 reinforced HDPE hybrid materials obtained by the sol–gel method

Novel high density polyethylene (HDPE)/SiO₂ hybrid materials were prepared by the sol–gel process using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). HDPE and synthesized HDPE‐g‐vinyl trimethoxysilane (VTMS) through melt grafting method was used as the raw material. The structure and thermal, mechanical properties of hybrid materials were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), simultaneous thermogravimetric (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and tensile tests, respectively. Silica phase in the HDPE‐g‐VTMS hybrids showed a network structure and nano‐scale size. The covalent bonds between organic and inorganic phases were introduced by the HDPE‐g‐VTMS bearing trimethoxysilyl groups, which underwent hydrolytic polycondensation with TEOS. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of HDPE‐g‐VTMS hybrids were obviously improved by embedded silica networks. It was found that the silica content in the HDPE‐g‐VTMS hybrid material was linearly increased with the TEOS dosage. The formation of the HDPE‐g‐VTMS hybrid was beneficial for enhanced mechanical strength and thermal stability, in comparison with the neat HDPE. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014 , 131, 39891.     

Organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route for preparing poly(methyl methacrylate)–silica hybrid materials

In this study, a series of organic–inorganic hybrid sol–gel materials consisting of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix and dispersed silica (SiO₂) particles were successfully prepared through an organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route with N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone as the mixing solvent. The as‐synthesized PMMA–SiO₂ nanocomposites were subsequently characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The solid phase of organic camphor sulfonic acid was employed to catalyze the hydrolysis and condensation (i.e., sol–gel reactions) of tetraethyl orthosilicate in the PMMA matrix. The formation of the hybrid membranes was beneficial for the physical properties at low SiO₂ loadings, especially for enhanced mechanical strength and gas barrier properties, in comparison with the neat PMMA. The effects of material composition on the thermal stability, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, molecular permeability, optical clarity, and surface morphology of the as‐prepared hybrid PMMA–SiO₂ nanocomposites in the form of membranes were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, gas permeability analysis, ultraviolet–visible transmission spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy, respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

New polyimide–silica organic–inorganic hybrids

A series of polyimide–silica hybrid films with silica contents up to 30 wt % were successfully prepared by the sol‐gel reaction of tetraethoxysiliane in the presence of poly(amic acid) containing pendent hydroxyl groups. The films were yellow and transparent when the silica content was less than 11 wt %. The chemical structure of the films was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the morphology of the films was investigated by scanning electronic microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and stress–strain tests were used to measure the performance of the films. The results indicate that the glass‐transition temperatures and decomposition temperatures of the hybrid films increased with increasing silica content, whereas the tensile strength had a maximum with the variety of silica contents. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2210–2214, 2003     

Dielectric and conduction properties of polyimide/silica nano‐hybrid films

Dielectric and conduction properties of polyimide/silica nano‐hybrid films were investigated with the silica content and the testing frequency, using a small electrode system. The hybrid films were prepared through sol‐gel process and thermal imidization, by using pyromellitic dianhydride and 4,4′‐oxydianiline as polyimide precursors, and tetraethoxysilane and methyltriethoxysilane as silica precursors. The dielectric coefficient of PI/SiO₂ films was monotonically increased with increasing silica content, and decreased with increasing testing frequency. The dielectric loss of PI/SiO₂ films had no obvious changes with increasing silica content, but monotonically increased with increasing testing frequency. These can be contributed to the different quantity and migration chunnels of current carriers, which were mainly influenced by a few of complicated factors. There were remarkable differences between conduction property of PI/TEOS‐SiO₂ films and PI/MTEOS‐SiO₂ films because of the different size and dispersion status of silica particles in the polyimide matrix. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Co‐poly(vinyl chloride‐vinyl acetate‐vinyl alcohol)‐silica nanocomposites from sol–gel process: Morphological,mechanical, and thermal investigations

Organic–inorganic nanocomposites consisting of co‐poly(vinyl chloride‐vinyl acetate‐vinyl alcohol) and silica were prepared via sol–gel process. Two types of hybrids were prepared, one in which interactions between hydroxyl group present in the copolymer chain and silanol groups of silica network were developed. In the second set, extensive chemical bonding between the phases was achieved through the reaction of hydroxyl groups on the copolymer chains with 3‐isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (ICTS). Hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethoxysilane and pendant ethoxy groups on the chain yielded inorganic network structure. Mechanical and thermal behaviors of the hybrid films were studied. Increase in Young's modulus, tensile strength, and toughness was observed up to 2.5 wt % silica content relative to the neat copolymer. The system in which ICTS was employed as binding agent, the tensile strength and toughness of hybrid films increased significantly as compared to the pure copolymer. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that these nanocomposite materials were stable up to 250°C. The glass transition temperature increases up to 2.5 wt % addition of silica in both the systems. Field emission scanning electron microscope results revealed uniform distribution of silica in the copolymer matrix. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Solid-state organization of poly(methylmethacrylate)-poly(methylphenylsiloxane) based interpenetrating networks

Three interpenetrating networks based on polymethylphenylsiloxane (PMPS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) with different compositions were prepared. They were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and high-resolution solid-state ¹³C NMR techniques, in order to study the heterogeneous character of the domains involved in these materials at the nanoscopic scale. DSC observed broad glass transitions of the PMPS chains. ¹³C cross-polarization (CP) experiments clearly showed that the aromatic PMPS carbons have a rate of CP which is composition dependent, indicating that PMPS and PMMA chains are interpenetrating at a very low spatial scale. These results were supported by T_1ρ(¹H) and ¹³C line width measurements as a function of temperature. Moreover, T_1ρ(¹H) measurements indicated that PMMA chains are rather homogeneously distributed whereas PMPS chains belong either to interpenetrating domains or to PMPS-rich domains.     

Synthesis and characterization of phenolic resol resin blended with silica sol and PVA

The phenolic resol resin (PF) has a wide application in industry, but its poor tensile ductility and insufficient mechanical strength have severely limited its application. To overcome these limitations, in this study, the mixtures of silica sol and poly(vinyl acohol) (PVA) were used to modify the PF. The structure, morphology, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of these hybrid materials were investigated by FTIR, SEM, tensile shear test (TSS), and TG. FTIR spectra indicated that the multiple reactive functional silanol group Si OH on the surface of SiO₂ particles reacted with PVA and PF. Compared with pure PF, the composite 50‐50‐3% exhibited the maximum shear strength which increased by 158%, whereas the elongation at break increased by 63%. Morphological results agreed well with the mechanical properties. The TG results suggested that the composite material 50‐50‐3% and pure PF had almost the same thermal stability because silica sol and PVA had opposite effects on the heat resistance of the hybrid materials. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Chitosan/polyvinylpyrrolidone‐silica hybrid membranes for pervaporation separation of methanol/ethylene glycol azeotrope

Chitosan (CS)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)‐silica hybrid membranes are prepared to separate the methanol/ethylene glycol (EG) azeotrope. These hybrid membranes are formed in semi‐interpenetrating network structure at the molecular scale via sol‐gel reactions between CS and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). The physico‐chemical property and morphology of the as‐prepared membranes are investigated in detail. They have lower crystallinity, higher thermal stability, and denser structure than the pristine CS membrane and its blending counterpart. The as‐prepared hybrid membranes demonstrate excellent performances and a great potential in pervaporation separation of methanol/EG. Silica‐hybridization depressed the swelling degree of membranes in the azeotrope, and remarkably enhanced methanol sorption selectivity. The membrane containing 7.77 wt % PVP and 14.52 wt % TEOS has a permeation flux of 0.119 kg m^?2 h^?1 and separation factor of 1899. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Nanocomposite coatings via simultaneous organic–inorganic photo‐induced polymerization: synthesis,structural investigation and mechanical characterization

Hybrid sol–gel films were prepared via a simultaneous organic‐inorganic UV‐curing process using a diaryliodonium salt as a superacid photogenerator. In this single‐step procedure, an epoxy functionalized reactive resin mixed with a variable amount of either of two epoxy trialkoxysilane precursors was UV‐irradiated, causing both the initiation of epoxy ring‐opening copolymerization and the catalysis of trialkoxysilyl sol–gel reactions. The concomitant photo‐induced sol–gel process was found to have a significant effect on the two related propagation mechanisms in competition for the oxirane ring‐opening—the active chain‐end and the activated monomer mechanisms—as proved by a systematic examination of the hybrid material microstructure through ²⁹Si and ¹³C solid‐state NMR spectroscopy. The effect of the oxo‐silica network generation on the epoxy reaction kinetics was also evaluated using real‐time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy upon varying the epoxysilane structure and its concentration. Thermal and dynamic mechanical analyses were systematically performed on these hybrids, by studying thoroughly their structure–property interdependence. Other mechanical characterizations through tribological and scratch tests suggested that the present photopolymer–silica hybrid material provides a powerful tool to tailor mechanical property profiles. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of chemical interaction on morphology and mechanical properties of CPI‐OH/SiO2 hybrid films with coupling agent

A novel hybrid film composed of copolyimide with hydroxyl group, silica and γ‐glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (CPI‐OH/SiO₂/GOTMS) was prepared by the sol–gel process based on hydrolyzed tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) under acidic condition. GOTMS, as the coupling agent, and hydroxyl group in PI chain were used to improve the compatibility between the PI and SiO₂. The components, morphologies, and mechanical properties of the hybrids were investigated by FTIR, UV–vis, SEM, stress–strain tests, and DMA. The results showed that SiO₂ particle size significantly decreased, fractured cross sections of hybrid were rougher, and the surfaces of spherical SiO₂ particles were more widely covered by PI component. The tensile mechanical properties of hybrids increased when adding GOTMS. The critical points of maximum tensile strength and elongation at break move from 11 to 16 wt % SiO₂ content. DMA results showed that the storage moduli of hybrids with GOTMS, when above 260°C, were obviously higher than those without GOTMS; the tan δ transition temperature of hybrid films went up from 317 to 337°C. It suggests that chemical interaction between CPI‐OH and SiO₂ is formed and the PI molecular mobility is restricted by the chemical interaction. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 3530–3538, 2007     

Novel imidazole‐grafted hybrid anion exchange membranes based on poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide) for fuel cell applications

Novel organic–inorganic hybrid membranes, based on poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide), have been prepared through 1,2‐dimethylimidazole functional groups and double crosslinking agents including 3‐glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and tetraethyl orthosilicate by sol–gel process for the purpose of improving the conductivity and alkaline resistance. The structure of membranes was characterized using Fourier‐transform infrared spectra, ¹H NMR, and X‐ray diffraction. The physico‐chemical properties of all membranes were shown in ion exchange capacity, water uptake, stability, and conductivity. Membranes with OH^– conductivity up to 0.022 at 25 °C and 0.036 S cm^?1 at 80 °C. Promisingly, the chemical stability of the resulting membranes remains unchanged after storage in 2 mol dm^?3 KOH at 25 °C over at least 10 days. The tensile strength can be higher than 30 MPa, and the elongation at break (Eb) is in the range 6.68–10.84%. Hence, this hybrid membrane can be potentially applied in alkaline fuel cells. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46034.