| abstract |
Disclosed is a novel proton conducting membrane mainly composed of a ceramic structure wherein an oxygen atom in a metal oxide is bonded with at least one group derived from an oxygen acid, namely one of -B(O)3-, -S(=O)2(O)2-, -P(=O)(O)3-, -C(=O)(O)2- and -N(O)3-, through an oxygen atom (provided that the oxygen atom in the metal oxide also serves as a part of oxygen atoms in the group derived from an oxygen acid). This proton conducting membrane is obtained by subjecting an oxygen acid or a precursor thereof and a metal oxide precursor to a sol-gel reaction, and then heating the resulting. The oxygen acid or a precursor thereof is specifically boric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, carbonic acid, nitric acid or a precursor of any of them. After the sol-gel reaction, the resulting is heated at 100-600˚C for obtaining the proton conducting membrane. |