TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Compounds: The fullerene molecule is 60C and/or 70C groups.The spacer molecule comprises an at least partially fluorinated hydrocarbon molecule.It comprises a partially fluorinated compound and/or a perfluorinated compound.The perfluorinated compound is of formula CnF2n, or CF2-CF2-O-CF2-CF2.The perfluorinated chain includes CF2.The proton conductor further comprises the spacer molecules attached to the fullerene, and a proton conductive functional group attached to each of the spacer molecules.At least one of the proton conductive functional groups is an acidic functional group.It includes a sulfuric acid ester, a sulfonic acid, a phosphoric acid ester, a carboxylic acid, or their combinations.The linking molecule includes an additional functional group including an ether, an ester, an amide, a ketone, and/or an acidic functional group.The linking molecule comprises an aryl group and at least one partially fluorinated molecule.The linking molecule is a partially fluorinated molecule, a perfluorinated molecule, a sulfonylimide molecule, or their combinations.The compound capable of enhancing proton conductivity includes polyalkyl ethers, polyethylene carbonates, polyacryl amides, polyvinyl alcohols, polyethylene imines, alkyl carbonates, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, their fluorinated derivatives, or their combinations.The polymer comprises a film having a thickness of 20-30 mum.The linking-molecule precursor is of formula I-(CF2)8-I.The second reaction product comprises a polymer of formula (1).The second reaction product includes a linking-molecule precursor of formula, R23-Si-N(R1)-Si-R23;and the second reaction product is of formula, (R-C60-CF2CF2OCF2CF2SO2NR1SO2NR1SO2CF2CF2OCF2CF2-C60- Rf)y (1).n = natural number;y = at least 2;Rf = -(CF2)2O(CF2)2SO2F, -(CF2)2O(CF2)2SO2NH2, -(CF2)2O(CF2)2SO2NR1SiR23, and/or -(CF2)2O(CF2)2SO2NR1SO2(CF2)2O(CF2)2-C60-Rf;R2 = alkyl;R1 = Li, Na, K, or SiR23.Preferred Method: Forming the first reaction product is carried out with one equivalent amount of 60C and 24 equivalent amounts of I-CF2-CF2-O-CF2-CF2-SO2F in a solution of 1:1 C6F6/CS2 at 200 degrees C for 94 hours to form first reaction products, each having a formula C60-(CF2-CF2-O-CF2-CF2-SO2F)n.The method further comprises subsequent to forming the second reaction product, removing an amount of excess sodium hydroxide by passing the solution through a silica gel column having THF and water in a 1:1 ratio, and removing the THF and water. Forming the proton conductor includes forming a solution of the second reaction products and water, and passing the solution through an ion exchange column to produce the third reaction products of formula, C60-(CF2-CF2-O-CF2CF2-SO3H)n.The step of protonating the second reaction product includes hydrolyzing the second reaction product with sodium hydroxide to form a third reaction product of formula (2).(Rf3-C60-CF2CF2OCF2CF2SO2NHSO2CF2CF2OCF2CF2-C60-Rf3)y (2);The step of forming the second reaction product includes drop-wise adding a 1 M solution of R23SiNNaSiR23 in THF in an inert atmosphere to an equivalent amount of a solid form of the first reaction product, stirring at room temperature to form a dark brown precipitate, drying the dark brown precipitate under vacuum to form a first solid, dissolving the first solid in dioxane, and adding to it at least one-half equivalent amount of the first reaction product in THF, and performing a reflux on the dissolved first solid, thus forming a second solid.