TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Component: The porous polymer substrate is a homopolymer or copolymer of liquid crystalline polymer, or solvent soluble thermoset or thermoplastic aromatic polymer. It comprises an extruded or cast film and a micro infrastructure interpenetrated with the ion-conducting material. The ion-conducting material comprises a homopolymer or copolymer of sulfonated, phosphonated or carboxylated ion-conducting aromatic polymer or perfluorinated ionomer. The lyotropic liquid crystalline polymer substrate is polybenzazole (PBZ) or polyaramid (PAR) polymer. The PBZ polymer substrate is a homopolymer or copolymer of polybenzoxazole (PBO), polybenzothiazole (PBT), or polybenzimidazole (PBI). The PAR is a homopolymer or copolymer of a polypara-phenylene terephthalamide (PPTA). The thermoset or thermoplastic aromatic polymer substrate is polysulfone (PSU), polyimide (PI), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polyphenylene sulfoxide (PPSO), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyphenylene sulfide sulfone (PPS/SO2), polyparaphenylene (PPP), polyphenyl quinoxaline (PPQ), polyarylketone (PK), or polyetherketone (PEK). The PSU polymer substrate is polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherethersulfone (PEES), polyarlyethersulfone (PAS), polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), or polyphenylenesulfone (PPSO2). The polyimide polymer is polyetherimide (PEI). The PEK polymer is PEK, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketone-ketone (PEKK), polyetheretherketone-ketone (PEEKK), or polyetherketoneetherketone-ketone (PEKEKK). The PPO is 2,6-diphenyl PPO or 2,6 dimethyl PPO polymer. The ion-conducting material is a homopolymer or copolymer of at least one of a sulfonated, phosphonated, or carboxylated polyimide. The sulfonated ion-conducting polymer is a sulfonated derivative that can be PSU, PPO, PPSO, PPS, polyphenylene sulfide sulfone (PPS/SO2), PPP, PPQ, PK, PEK, PBZ and PAR polymer. The ion-conducting material which is cross-linked can also be polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA), poly(trifluorostyrene) sulfonic acid, polyvinyl phosphonic acid (PVPA), polyacrylic acid and polyvinyl sulfonic acid (PVSA) polymer.Preferred Condition: The SPEM is stable at 100-175 degreesC preferably 100-150 degreesC (preferably at 120-175 degreesC). The SPEM has a specific resistance of 0.02-20 OMEGAcm2 (preferably less than 0.2 OMEGAcm2) and a thickness of 0.1-5 mil (preferably 1 mil). The pore size of the polymer substrate is 10-20,000 Angstrom (preferably 500-10000 Angstrom). The ion conducting material has an ion-conductivity of 0.01- 0.5 S/cm (preferably 0.1 S/cm). The PBZ polymer is preferably a polybenzoxaxole polymer.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The perfluorovinyl ether sulfonic acid is carboxylic, phosphonic, or sulfonic substituted. EXAMPLE - Microporous PBO, having been exchanged into N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) without collapse of the pores, was added to a 5 wt. % solution of the sulfonated Radel (sodium plus form) polymers in NMP. After at least 12 hour, the films were removed and placed in a 20 wt. % solution of the same ion-conducting polymer (also in NMP). After at least 12 hours at room temperature (or at 75 degreesC), the films were removed, stretched, and dried of the solvent. The sulfonated Radel/PBO films were dried in a low humidity chamber (less than 5% relative humidity) for 1-2 days, vacuum dried in an oven at 60-200 degreesC. The composite is hot pressed after all the solvent is fully extracted. Non-porous Teflon shims were placed on each side of the composite membrane followed by titanium shims. The entire set-up is then loaded into a press and subjected to different temperature, pressure, holding time, force, and ramp rate to produce the SPEM.