Membrane Conductance Research Articles

DP1, a multifaceted synthetic peptide: Mechanism of action, activity and clinical potential

AimsMicrobial infections remain a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) being a prominent etiological agent, responsible for causing persistent bacterial infections in humans. It is a nosocomial, opportunistic pathogen, capable to propagate within the bloodstream and withstand therapeutic interventions. In the current study, a novel, indigenously designed synthetic antimicrobial peptide (sAMP) has been evaluated for its antimicrobial potential to inhibit the growth and proliferation of S. aureus. Main methodsThe sAMP, designed peptide (DP1) was evaluated for its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against a panel of pathogenic bacterial strains. Membrane mechanistic studies were performed by measuring membrane conductivity via dielectric spectroscopy and visualizing changes in bacterial membrane structure through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Further, DP1 was tested for its in vivo antimicrobial potential in an S. aureus-induced systemic infection model. Key findingsThe results indicated that DP1 has the potential to inhibit the growth and proliferation of a broad spectrum of Gram-positive, Gram-negative and multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains. Strong bactericidal effect attributed to change in electrical conductivity of the bacterial cells leading to membrane disruption was observed through dielectric spectroscopy and FE-SEM micrographs. Further, in the in vivo murine systemic infection study, 50 % reduction in S. aureus bioburden was observed within 1 day of the administration of DP1. SignificanceThe results indicate that DP1 is a multifaceted peptide with potent bactericidal, antioxidant and therapeutic properties. It holds significance as a novel drug candidate to effectively combat S. aureus-mediated systemic infections.

Investigation of the functional impact of CHED- and FECD4-associated SLC4A11 mutations in human corneal endothelial cells.

Mutations in the solute linked carrier family 4 member 11 (SLC4A11) gene are associated with congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED) and Fuchs corneal endothelial dystrophy type 4 (FECD4), both characterized by corneal endothelial cell (CEnC) dysfunction and/or cell loss leading to corneal edema and visual impairment. In this study, we characterize the impact of CHED-/FECD4-associated SLC4A11 mutations on CEnC function and SLC4A11 protein localization by generating and comparing human CEnC (hCEnC) lines expressing wild type SLC4A11 (SLC4A11WT) or mutant SLC4A11 harboring CHED-/FECD4-associated SLC4A11 mutations (SLC4A11MU). SLC4A11WT and SLC4A11MU hCEnC lines were generated to express either SLC4A11 variant 2 (V2WT and V2MU) or variant 3 (V3WT and V3MU), the two major variants expressed in ex vivo hCEnC. Functional assays were performed to assess cell barrier, proliferation, viability, migration, and NH3-induced membrane conductance. We demonstrate SLC4A11-/- and SLC4A11MU hCEnC lines exhibited increased migration rates, altered proliferation and decreased cell viability compared to SLC4A11WT hCEnC. Additionally, SLC4A11-/- hCEnC demonstrated decreased cell-substrate adhesion and membrane capacitances compared to SLC4A11WT hCEnC. Induction with 10mM NH4Cl led SLC4A11WT hCEnC to depolarize; conversely, SLC4A11-/- hCEnC hyperpolarized and the majority of SLC4A11MU hCEnC either hyperpolarized or had minimal membrane potential changes following NH4Cl induction. Immunostaining of primary hCEnC and SLC4A11WT hCEnC lines for SLC4A11 demonstrated predominately plasma membrane staining with poor or partial colocalization with mitochondrial marker COX4 within a subset of punctate subcellular structures. Overall, our findings suggest CHED-associated SLC4A11 mutations likely lead to hCEnC dysfunction, and ultimately CHED, by interfering with cell migration, proliferation, viability, membrane conductance, barrier function, and/or cell surface localization of the SLC4A11 protein in hCEnC. Additionally, based on their similar subcellular localization and exhibiting similar cell functional profiles, protein isoforms encoded by SLC4A11 variant 2 and variant 3 likely have highly overlapping functional roles in hCEnC.

In-Situ construction of Lithium-Ion channel within PVDF/VNs@PDA composite separators for remarkable enhanced cycle stability and safety for lithium batteries (LIBs)

In this work, a non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) technique was used to prepare polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) lithium battery (LIB) separators. Firstly, vermiculite nanosheets (VNs) coated by polydopamine (PDA), i.e., VNs@PDA, was ultrasonically dispersed in DMAc and PVDF was solution-blended with VNs@PDA with final porous composite films obtained after the extraction of DMAc. Effects of the presence of VNs@PDA on both structure and properties of PVDF films were intensively studied, and the SEM observations further suggested that the addition of VNs@PDA heavily affected the thermodynamic parameters between the polymer and solvent, causing a remarkable enhancement on the thermodynamic instability of the PVDF solution system. The polymer–solvent phase separation by the addition of less nonsolvent tended to induce the formation of long finger-like pores. An incorporation of 7.0 wt% VNs@PDA resulted in an increase in ionic conductivity of the composite membrane from 0.320 mS·cm−1 to 1.515 mS·cm−1 via AC impedance tests. The incorporation of VNs@PDA not only enhanced the hydrophilicity of the composite films (as judged by water contact angle dropping from 112.7° to 74.2°), but also significantly improved both battery performance and mechanical properties. The present study provides a facile way of fabricating LIB separators with sufficiently high safety and superior performance.

A polybenzimidazole-covalent organic framework hybrid membrane with highly efficient proton-selective transport channels for vanadium redox flow battery

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) is considered as the one of the most promising materials for proton exchange membranes (PEMs) owing to its negligible crossover and outstanding chemical stability. However, the low proton conductivity of PBI membrane restricts its commercial application in vanadium flow battery (VFB). Herein, the PBI hybrid membranes with high proton conductivity were prepared by introducing crystalline covalent organic frameworks (TpPa and TpPa-SO3H (STpPa)). Owing to the highly ordered sub-nanometer pores within TpPa and STpPa, faster proton highway was constructed in the hybrid membrane. Meanwhile, the sulfonic acid groups introduced to STpPa further provided additional proton transport sites and vanadium permeation barriers to achieve high ion selectivity. Accordingly, the cell assembled with PBI hybrid membrane with 3% STpPa achieved superior voltage efficiency (95.22%–74.84%) and energy efficiency (91.38%–74.38%) at 40–240 mA cm−2, and exhibited superb electrochemical stability during 800 cycles at 160 mA cm−2. This work offers a facile and efficient strategy to construct high-performance PBI-based PEMs by incorporating functional porous materials, which has incredible prospect for use in VFBs.

Study of the ion transport properties of succinonitrile plasticized poly(vinylidene fluoride)-based solid polymer electrolytes

Due to the high crystallinity of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), the segmental motion is restricted, resulting in low ionic conductivity, which is a barrier to the commercial application of solid-state polymer electrolytes based on PVDF. In this work, a polymeric solid electrolyte material with high ionic conductivity was obtained by plasticizing PVDF with Succinonitrile (SCN). Additionally, a polycationic protective layer was generated in situ on the lithium metal anode surface to inhibit the polymerization reaction of SCN on the lithium metal surface. The experimental results demonstrate that the ionic conductivity of the PVDF electrolyte membrane plasticized SCN (SCN-PVDF) is 4.3 × 10-5 S·cm−1 at room temperature. SCN-PVDF has interconnected lithium-ion 3D network channels. Under a current density of 0.2 mA·cm−2 and an areal capacity of 0.2 mAh·cm−2, the SCN-PVDF electrolyte membrane can last for more than 500 h while maintaining a consistently low polarization potential. At 25℃, the LiFePO4|SCN-PVDF|PDDA-TFSI@Li system exhibits a first-cycle discharge capacity of 163.2 mAh·g−1 at a 0.1C rate, and maintains a capacity retention of 99.8 % after 200 charge/discharge cycles at 0.5C rate.

On the low-frequency dispersion observed in dielectrophoresis spectra.

The foundation of dielectrophoresis (DEP) as a tool for biological investigation is the use of the Clausius-Mossotti (C-M) factor to model the observed behaviour of cells experiencing DEP across a frequency range. Nevertheless, it is also the case that at lower frequencies, the DEP spectrum deviates from predictions; there exists a rise in DEP polarisability, which varies in frequency and magnitude with different cell types and medium conductivities. In order to evaluate the origin of this effect, we have studied DEP spectra from five cell types (erythrocytes, platelets, neurons, HeLa cancer cells and monocytes) in several conditions including medium conductivity and cell treatment. Our results suggest the effect manifests as a low-pass dispersion whose cut-off frequency varies with membrane conductance and capacitance as determined using the DEP spectrum; the effect also varies as a logarithm of medium conductivity and Debye length. These together suggest that the values of membrane capacitance and conductance depend not only on the impedance of the membrane itself, but also of the surrounding double layer. The amplitude of the effect in different cell types compared to the C-M factor was found to correlate with the depolarisation factors for the cells' shapes, suggesting that this ratio may be useful as an indicator of cell shape for DEP modelling.

Electro-sorption and -desorption characteristics of electrically conductive polyacrylonitrile membranes to remove aqueous natural organic matter in dead-end ultrafiltration system

Electrically conductive (EC) membranes have emerged as an innovative approach in removing natural organic matter (NOM) by electro-sorption (e-sorption) when external anodic potential (AP) is applied. In this study, the EC membranes were established by a forming a porous nanolayer of Pt nanoparticles via magnetron sputtering on both sides of virgin and chemically modified PAN ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The modified PAN membranes were functionalized with ethylenediamine (PAN-EDA) and sodium hydroxide (PAN-NaOH). The virgin PAN membrane material contains nitrile group and demonstrated a negative zeta potential in the analyzed pH range. The PAN-EDA membrane owned amidine and amine groups, whereas PAN-NaOH membrane possessed carboxyl and amide groups in the membrane matrix. The PAN-NaOH and PAN-EDA membranes exhibited isoelectric points at 3.7 and 7.8, respectively. Electrical field-assisted UF experiments were conducted with Suwannee River NOM in dead-end mode and NOM removal was monitored using different methods of NOM characterization (e.g., SEC, DOC and UV254 absorbance). The results revealed that the non-electrically conductive (NEC) and EC virgin PAN membranes exhibited almost no intrinsic adsorption (at 0 V external potential) and e-sorption of NOM at 2.5 V AP respectively. However, NEC PAN-NaOH and PAN-EDA membranes showed DOC intrinsic sorption loadings of 17 mg·m−2 and 258 mg·m−2 at permeate flux 100 L·m−2·h−1 and pH 7 respectively. In comparison, the DOC e-sorption loadings of the EC PAN-NaOH and EC PAN-EDA membranes at 2.5 V AP were 197 mg·m−2 and 525 mg·m−2 under same test conditions respectively. The NOM e-desorption characteristics of the EC modified PAN membranes were also investigated to regenerate membranes for a sustainable filtration process. The results indicated that the EC PAN-NaOH and PAN-EDA membranes can be regenerated by reversing the electrical polarity almost completely. In conclusions, the outcomes of this work confirm that the presence of the derivatives of amines (e.g., amines, amidine and amide groups) and carboxyl group are necessary in the membrane matrix to induce e-sorption and -desorption characteristics.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Concentration-Independent Fluorescent Chloride Indicator, ABP-Dextran, Optimized for Extracellular Chloride Measurement.

GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, stimulates GABAA receptors (GABAARs) to increase the chloride conductance of the cytosolic membrane. The driving forces for membrane chloride currents are determined by the local differences between intracellular and extracellular chloride concentrations (Cli and Clo, respectively). While several strategies exist for the measurement of Cli, the field lacks tools for non-invasive measurement of Clo. We present the design and development of a fluorescent lifetime imaging (FLIM)-compatible small molecule, N(4-aminobutyl)phenanthridiunium (ABP) with the brightness, spectral features, sensitivity to chloride, and selectivity versus other anions to serve as a useful probe of Clo. ABP can be conjugated to dextran to ensure extracellular compartmentalization, and a second chloride-insensitive counter-label can be added for ratiometric imaging. We validate the utility of this novel sensor series in two sensor concentration-independent modes: FLIM or ratiometric intensity-based imaging.

Electrospinning-assisted construction of rapid proton conduction channels in halloysite nanotube-encapsulated ionic liquid-embedded sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) proton exchange membranes

The most fatal drawback of traditional sulfonated polymer proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) is their heavy dependence on water molecules to conduct protons, which causes a sharp decrease in their proton conductivity in low-humidity environments. Here, composite membranes were fabricated by electrostatically spinning halloysite nanotube-encapsulated ionic-liquids (IL@HNTs) incorporated into sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) (SPEEK/IL@HNTs). Using electrospinning, one-dimensional IL@HNTs ionogels with good water absorption were axially and uniformly aligned along the fiber filament direction. This formed long-range uninterrupted proton conduction pathways that greatly improved the proton conductivity of the composite membrane under various humidity environments. The axially-aligned structure facilitated crystallization, which improved the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the composite membrane. The SPEEK/6IL@HNTs membrane exhibited a through-plane proton conductivity of 139.2 mS cm−1 at 90 °C/98 % RH, representing a significant increase compared with the intrinsic SPEEK membrane. The SPEEK/6IL@HNTs membrane demonstrated a maximum power density of 732 mW cm−2, which exceeded that of the Nafion115 membrane (328 mW cm−2) by a factor of 2.2. It exhibited a single-cell performance equivalent to that of the Nafion212 membrane (723 mW cm−2), demonstrating that this provides a feasible approach to operating fuel cells in low-humidity environments without additional humidification.

Random sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) and sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) membranes for fuel cell applications

AbstractIn this study, sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) and sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) (SPAEK) were randomly synthesized, employing a presulfonation process. This presulfonation process resulted in a more controlled and reproducible sulfonation level. The respective polymers were prepared using 2,2‐Bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl) propane at 50% molar ratio, which also provided some membrane elasticity. The resulting polymers, each had 25% of the block containing the sulfonic domains (SPAES A 25 and SPAEK A 25). Better conductive membranes were achieved for the random sulfone polymers than for the random ketone polymers, with values, respectively, of 0.24 and 0.07 S cm−1 at 80°C. The lower proton conductivity from the ketone‐based polymer was compensated with very low methanol permeability (0.25 × 10−6 cm2 s−1) and outstanding oxidative stability. The selectivity of both polymer membranes exceeded the reported values for the state‐of‐the‐art Nafion® 117 and other commercially available options. Both polymer membranes, with their unique combination of ionic domains, elastomeric blocks, and resulting morphology, could be viable candidates for fuel cell applications.

Improved performance of lanthanide-doped UIO-66/Nafion hybrid proton exchange membrane for water electrolyzer

Incorporating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) especially the ones with protic functional groups into proton exchange membrane (PEM) can effectively improve its proton conductivity. Lanthanide MOFs (Ln-MOFs) have been recognized as more potential candidates exhibiting proton dissociation capability. However, the performance of PEM upon integrating Ln-MOFs in water electrolyzer has yet to be investigated. In this study, Nafion composites with different loadings of lanthanide Ce-UiO-66 were prepared, characterized and tested by comparing with the non-lanthanide Zr-UiO-66. It was revealed that the proton conductivity of Ce-UiO-66/Nafion composite membrane was higher than pristine Nafion and Zr-UiO-66/Nafion membrane, which was attributed to the fact that the Ce-UiO-66 doping contributed to the construction of the hydrogen-bonded network to enhance the proton conductivity. At 3 wt% Ce-UiO-66 doping, the proton conductivity of the composite membrane can reach 124.45 mS/cm, which is significantly improved by 17 % compared with Zr-UiO-66/Nafion. Such a trend is mainly contributed by the lower proton affinity and proton transfer capability of Ce atoms in Ce-UiO-66, and the higher number of water molecules around Ce atoms favors the reduced tortuosity of the proton conduction pathway in membranes. Single electrolytic cell tests demonstrated the enhancement of electrolysis efficiency upon Ce-UiO-66 doping was improved from 58.77 % to 65.37 % at a current density of 2 A cm−2.

Reinforced PS-PVDF-WO3 superhydrophobic antiwetting membrane for membrane distillation

Membrane distillation (MD) is an energy-efficient desalination process with abilities to achieve nearly zero liquid discharge and recovery of resources. Nevertheless, MD's transition from laboratory to industrial scale has been largely challenged by expensive and complex fabrication methods for hydrophobic membranes, as well as lack of resistance against wetting and scaling. Present study demonstrates about the development of a hydrophobic electrospun membrane using a low-cost polystyrene (~1.057 $ per kg) polymer blended with PVDF (~80 $ per kg), followed by the surface modification via electrospraying of silane functionalized tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanoparticles. The characteristics of the fabricated membrane in terms of deionized water contact angle revealed ultra-high surface contact angle (~172°) and low sliding angle (<5°). The low thermal conductivity (~0.166 W/mK) of electrospun membrane accredited decreases in temperature polarization during MD operation, resulting in enhanced transportation of water vapors from feed to permeate side. Furthermore, the electrospun membrane attained resilience against wetting, along with stable permeate flux (~25 LMH) and high salt rejection (>99.9 %) with low surface tension (~28 mN/m) saline feed. Tensile tests (firm up to 45 N) and harsh chemical exposure (durable at pH 2 and pH 12) confirmed the structural robustness of the fabricated membrane.

Screening of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NML21 and Its Maintenance on Postharvest Quality of Agaricus bisporus through Anti-Browning and Mitigation of Oxidative Damage.

Browning and other undesirable effects on Agaricus bisporus (A. bisporus) during storage seriously affect its commercial value. In this study, a strain, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NML21, that resists browning and delays the deterioration of A. bisporus was screened among 72 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and its preservative effect was analyzed. The results demonstrated that gallic acid, catechin, and protocatechuic acid promoted the growth of NML21, and the strain conversion rates of gallic acid and protocatechuic acid reached 97.16% and 95.85%, respectively. During a 15 d storage of the samples, the NML21 treatment displayed a reduction in the browning index (58.4), weight loss (2.64%), respiration rate (325.45 mg kg-1 h-1), and firmness (0.65 N). The treatment further inhibited Pseudomonas spp. growth and polyphenol oxidase activity, improved the antioxidant capacity, reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and reduced the malonaldehyde content and cell membrane conductivity. Taken together, the optimized concentrations of NML21 may extend the shelf life of A. bisporus for 3-6 d and could be a useful technique for preserving fresh produce.

Terahertz Conductivity of Free-Standing 3D Covalent Organic Framework Membranes Fabricated via Triple-Layer-Dual Interfacial Approach.

Processable covalent organic framework membranes (COFM) are emerging as potential semiconducting materials for device applications. Nevertheless, the fabrication of crystalline and free-standing 3D COFMs is challenging. In this work, a unique time and solvent-efficient triple-layer-dual interfacial (TLDI) approach for the simultaneous synthesis of two 3D COFMs from a single system is developed. Besides, for the first time, the optical conductivity of these free-standing 3D COFMs is analyzed using terahertz (THz) spectroscopy in transmission mode. Interestingly, these membranes show excellent transmittance at THz frequencies with very high intrinsic THz conductivities. The evaluated scattering time and plasma frequency of the free carriers of the COFMs are highly promising for future applications in optoelectronic devices in THz frequencies.

Spontaneous and rapid electrostatic solvent nanofiltration based on a conductive layered membrane

An electrostatic solvent nanofiltration (ESN) method was developed for separating water from a variety of miscible solvents with high flux and negligible energy consumption by using an electrically conductive layered MXene membrane.

Cs+ conductance in graphene membranes with Ångström-scale pores: the role of pore entrance geometry.

Recently, 2D materials, such as graphene, have been successfully implemented as artificial conduits of molecular sizes. The extreme precision with which these structures can be fabricated provides an unprecedented framework for the development of highly specific and efficient devices. In this work, we study the electrophoretic transport of Cs+ ions in a graphene membrane with effective pore heights of 3.4 Å by conducting molecular dynamics simulations. The entrance of the pore is systematically modified to investigate the effect of pore geometry on ionic conductance. Simulation results suggest a significant correlation between ionic conductance and entrance geometry, with a variation of the conductance up to 100% across the studied cases. To explain the observed correlation, two mechanisms involving an intimate relationship between ion dehydration and edge functional groups are proposed. The present study provides theoretical insights that can aid the design of graphene-based membranes with tunable ionic transport properties.

Two water-rich amphiphilic and hydrophilic coordination polymers: syntheses, structures and proton conduction behaviors in Nafion composite membranes

Two amphiphilic and hydrophilic coordination compounds were obtained, which can be doped into Nafion membranes with different optimal amounts and improve the proton conductivity of Nafion composite membranes to different degrees.

Examination of Nafion membrane performance with acid-base functionalized graphene oxide.

Functionalized graphene oxide (GO) as a good additive can improve the performance of proton exchange membrane (PEM) via the introduction of various functional groups. How to balance the proton conductivity and durability of membrane based on functionalized GO is a key issue. In this work, benzoic-acid-functionalized GO(BAF-GO) and 1,2,4-triazole-functionalized GO(TF-GO) are employed as doping candidates, and the co-doping effect on membrane performance is investigated by means of experiment and molecular dynamics simulation. Meanwhile, the quantum chemistry method is implemented to explore the interaction between TF-GO, membrane and BAF-GO. The results reveal that the composite membrane exhibits high durability and enhanced proton conductivity. When the doping mass ratio of BAF-GO to TF-GO is 3 : 1, the proton conductivity can be greatly improved, especially under low-humidity conditions. Excessive addition of basic groups does not enhance proton transport.

The influence of polyvinyl alcohol concentration toward conductivity and permeability of chitosan - montmorillonite composite membrane

The composite membrane is synthesized using chitosan as a matrix membrane with montmorillonite (MMT) as a filler and modified using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The main aim of this study is to find out the influence of PVA concentration and the working temperature toward the permeability of chitosan?MMT/PVA composite membrane. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterization is performed in order to identify the interaction between the chitosan matrix and the modified MMT with PVA. The presence of new absorption at 1116.82 and 619.17 cm-1 indicated the interaction between MMT and PVA. Further, the widening of OH absorption indicated the hydrogen bond which is formed between chitosan matrix and PVA. This interaction is also demonstrated by the evenly distributed surface on scanning electron microscope (SEM) topography analysis. The thermal stability of composite membrane is determined by thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA). In addition, the composite membrane containing PVA has four patterns decomposed. When the TVA is absent from the composite membrane, it has three decomposition patterns, which are shown by TGA analysis. Based on its tensile strength, the composite membrane has good mechanical properties. The proton conductivity of the composite membranes are directly proportional to the PVA concentration. On the other hand, the methanol permeability of composite membranes is inversely proportional with the PVA concentration. The highest proton conductivity was obtained with the addition of 2 % PVA of 2.94?10-4 S cm-1. Further, it also has the lowest methanol permeability with the value of 5.05?10-6 cm2 s-1. As a result, the crosslinked composite membrane chitosan? ?MMT prepared by PVA-crosslinking technique has the potential to be exploited for the direct methanol fuel cell application.

Triazole-rich 3D metal-organic framework incorporated solid electrolytes for superior proton conductivity and durability in fuel cells.

Insufficient proton conductivity and oxidative stability of sulfonated hydrocarbons hinder their applicability as proton exchange membrane electrolytes in fuel cells. In this regard, fabrication of proton conducting mixed-matrix membranes (PC-MMMs) can be a superior approach to obtain desirable properties. In this work, a triazole ligand (1H-1,2,4 triazole) was coordinated to a zinc metal node to create a 3D metal-organic framework (MOF) and incorporated as an additive in a sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) matrix at 1, 3, and 5 weight percentage to fabricate PC-MMMs by the casting process. Several characterization tools such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterise these membranes and study their potential application as electrolyte(s) in PEMFCs (proton exchange membrane fuel cells). Membranes were also tested for water uptake, ion-exchange capacity and oxidative stability in Fenton's reagent. The performance of the polymeric composite membrane containing a 3 wt% MOF was then assessed in a H2/O2 single cell as it demonstrated the highest proton conductivity of 0.04 S cm-1 among all the compositions and a maximum current density of 1191 mA cm-2. The membrane was also subjected to an OCV hold test for 12 hours to study the chemical durability over a period of time. This report establishes that the inclusion of a triazole based MOF enhances the proton conductivity, performance, and thermal and chemical durability of composite membranes which can be considered as a promising electrolyte material at intermediate temperatures after a proper optimisation of different cell parameters.