| Abstract
| - We have investigated the physical properties of proton conducting polymer membranes based on a proticionic liquid (IL). Properties such as ionic conductivity, melting point of the polymer phase, and glass transitiontemperature of the liquid phase are studied as a function of IL/polymer ratio and temperature. We observe anincreased thermomechanical stability of the membrane with increasing polymer content. However, there is aconcomitant decrease in the conductivity with increasing polymer content. This decrease is larger than whatcan be expected from the dilution of the conducting IL by the insulating polymer matrix. The origin of thisdecrease can be caused both by the morphology of the membrane and by interactions between the polymermatrix and the ionic liquid. We find a change in the glass transition temperature and in the temperaturedependence of the conductivity with increasing polymer content. Both effects can be related to the physicalconfinement of the IL in the polymer membrane.
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