In order to enhance the ion exchange capacity (IEC) in the proton exchange membrane materials, a novel sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) (SQNPAEK) containing tri-side chains in one unit is synthesized by direct polymerization. The SQNPAEK membrane shows excellent proton conductivity up to 0.102S cm(-1) at 80 degrees C, which are superior to previous side-chain-type and main-chain-type sulfonated polymer membranes at similar IEC. Cross-linked membranes are then obtained by a heating reaction at 190 degrees C, using 4,4'-diglycidyl (3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbiphenyl) epoxy resin (TMBP) as the cross-linker. As expected, the water uptake and the methanol permeability of the cross-linked membranes decrease with increasing the content of TMBP. Compared to Nation 117, the cross-linked membranes show comparable proton conductivities and much higher selectivities, which are in the range of 5.18 x 10(5)-1.46 x 10(6) S s(-1) cm(3). Other properties of the cross-linked membranes, such as mechanical properties, thermal properties, are also investigated. All the results indicated that the cross-linked membranes based on SQNPAEKs and TMBP are promising candidate for direct methanol fuel cells. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.