Membranes exhibiting proton conductivity have been prepared by sol-gel synthesis using tetraethoxysilane and heteroaromatic sulfonic acid derivatives (2-phenyl-5-benzimidazolesulfonic acid and 3-pyridinesulphonic acid) in the presence of phosphoric acid and polyvinyl butyral. The membranes are gels composed of a polyvinyl butyral polymer matrix with uniformly distributed particles of silica containing molecules of heteroaromatic sulfonic acid derivatives mechanically incorporated in its network structure. The membranes synthesized from 2-phenyl-5-benzimidazolesulfonic acid or 3-pyridinesulphonic acid exhibit a conductivity of 0.1 × 10⁻² or 0.55 × 10⁻² S/cm at 353 K, an ion-exchange capacity of 2.70 or 1.84 mequiv/g, and a proton-transfer activation energy of 24.93 or 21.73 kJ/mol, respectively; at a relative water content of 50%, the tensile strength is 4 or 6 MPa and the elastic modulus is 128 or 191 MPa, respectively.

4-Vinylpyridine–2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate copolymers have been synthesized by radical copolymerization. The composition and properties of the copolymers have been studied; the reactivity constants of the comonomers have been calculated. Sol–gel synthesis involving the resulting copolymers and tetraethoxysilane has yielded hybrid membranes comprising a polymer matrix with uniformly distributed hydrated silica particles and exhibiting a proton conductivity of up to 1.85 × 10 S/cm, an ion-exchange capacity of 2.1 meq/g, a heat resistance of 412°С, a tensile strength of 55.5 MPa, an elongation at break of 15%, and a proton-conductivity activation energy of 12 ± 2 kJ/mol.

The products of sol-gel synthesis involving tetraethoxysilane and the nitrogenous polybases poly(4-vinylpyridine), poly(2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine), poly( N-vinylimidazole), poly( N-vinylpyrazole), and...