A novel sulfonated poly(arylene ether) containing triphenylmethane moieties was synthesized by the sulfonation of a designed parent polymer using chlorosulfonic acid as sulfonation agent. The sulfonation took place at the para position of the pendant phenyl rings because of the specially designed parent polymer. The position and degree of sulfonation were characterized by 1H-NMR and elemental analysis. The sulfonated polymers are highly soluble in common organic solvents, such as dimethylsulfoxide, N,N'-dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, and can be readily cast into tough and smooth films from solutions. The films showed good thermal and hydrolysis stabilities. Moreover, Fenton's reagent test revealed that the films exhibited superior stability to oxidation. The proton conductivities of the films were comparable with Nafion 117 under same conditions. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) prepared with the asmade film (706 EW, 100μm dry thickness) shows better cell performance than Nafion 115-MEA in the whole current density range.
