Solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane comprising a porous support and a solid polymer electrolyte including a dispersed reduced noble metal or noble metal oxide

A solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane, said solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane comprising:

• (a) a first non-electrically-conductive support, said first non-electrically-conductive support having opposing top and bottom surfaces, a plurality of pores being provided in said first non-electrically-conductive support, said pores extending directly from said top surface to said bottom surface, wherein said pores are unevenly distributed in said first non-electrically-conductive support, with at least some of said pores being located in a peripheral portion of said first non-electrically-conductive support and at least some of said pores being located in a non-peripheral portion of said first non-electrically-conductive support, said pores being located in a greater concentration in said non-peripheral portion than in said peripheral portion;
• (b) at least some of said pores being at least partially filled with a first solid polymer electrolyte, said first solid polymer electrolyte being non-conductive to electrons and comprising a dispersed reduced noble metal or noble metal oxide;
• and
• (c) a second solid polymer electrolyte positioned at least one of over the top surface and under the bottom surface of said first non-electrically-conductive support, said second solid polymer electrolyte being non-conductive to electrons;
• (d) wherein said first solid polymer electrolyte and said second solid polymer electrolyte are different in composition.

A method of preparing a solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a non-electrically-conductive support, said non-electrically-conductive support having opposing top and bottom surfaces;
• (b) creating a plurality of pores in said non-electrically-conductive support, said pores extending directly from said top surface to said bottom surface, wherein said pores are unevenly distributed in said non-electrically-conductive support, with at least some of said pores being located in a peripheral portion of said non-electrically-conductive support and at least some of said pores being located in a non-peripheral portion of said non-electrically-conductive support, said pores being located in a greater concentration in said non-peripheral portion than in said peripheral portion;
• and
• (c) at least partially filling at least some of said pores with a first solid polymer electrolyte, said first solid polymer electrolyte comprising a dispersed reduced noble metal or noble metal oxide.

A method of preparing a solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a first non-electrically-conductive porous support, said first non-electrically-conductive porous support having opposing top and bottom surfaces and a plurality of pores extending directly from said top surface to said bottom surface, wherein said pores are unevenly distributed in said first non-electrically-conductive porous support, with at least some of said pores being located in a peripheral portion of said first non-electrically-conductive porous support and at least some of said pores being located in a non-peripheral portion of said first non-electrically-conductive porous support, said pores being located in a greater concentration in said non-peripheral portion than in said peripheral portion;
• (b) providing a first solid polymer electrolyte film, said first solid polymer electrolyte film being non-conductive to electrons;
• (c) providing a second solid polymer electrolyte film, said second solid polymer electrolyte film being non-conductive to electrons;
• (d) positioning said first non-electrically-conductive porous support on top of said first solid polymer electrolyte film and said second solid polymer electrolyte film on top of said first non-electrically-conductive porous support to form a stack;
• and
• (e) compressing said stack under elevated temperatures until at least some of said pores in said first non-electrically-conductive porous support become at least partially filled with at least one of said first solid polymer electrolyte film and said second solid polymer electrolyte film;
• (f) at least one of said first solid polymer electrolyte film and said second solid polymer electrolyte film comprises a dispersed reduced noble metal or noble metal oxide.