Recommended Free Tools
In 2016, researchers measured proton conductivity of 2 ± 1 mS/cm at room temperature in hydrated jelly from sharks and skates. They described it as the highest proton conductivity then reported for a biological material. That is a dated claim from one study—not confirmation that the finding remains the current record.
What is “shark jelly”?
It is the hydrated material inside canals of the ampullae of Lorenzini, sensory organs in sharks, skates and related fish. Pores in the skin connect to these canals, which lead toward electrosensory cells. The organs help the animals detect weak electric fields. The jelly is part of this biological system, not a consumer product or a free-standing material collected for sale.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The 2016 study examined jelly extracted from big skate, longnose skate and bonnethead shark. It measured proton transport through the hydrated samples; it did not establish exactly what role the jelly plays in carrying signals through the animal’s sensory organ. The study appeared in Science Advances in 2016.
What does the conductivity result mean?
Conductivity describes how readily electric charge moves through a material. In this case, the reported charge carriers were protons, and the result was 2 ± 1 millisiemens per centimeter (mS/cm) at room temperature. The researchers used two- and four-terminal devices with proton-conducting palladium hydride contacts.
#1 Best Overall
- 【PURPOSE】Suitable for electrodes in fuel cells, vanadium cells, electrolytic cells, electrodialysis and electrochemical sensors
- 【CHARACTERISTICS】 good thermal stability, high temperature resistance; Resistance to electrochemical oxidation, low corrosion, good chemical stability; Good mechanical performance and long service life; High conductivity, high output power
The authors compared their result with Nafion, an engineered proton-conducting polymer used as a reference material, and said the jelly’s measured conductivity was about 40 times lower. The comparison is about conductivity, not equivalence: the study did not demonstrate that shark jelly works as a fuel-cell membrane or can replace an engineered material.
Why might the jelly conduct protons?
The researchers identified keratan sulfate in the jelly and proposed that its sulfate acid groups could contribute protons to the surrounding water. This is a proposed explanation for proton transport in the hydrated material, not a fully established account of the mechanism.
Rank #2
- Thickness: 50.8 microns
- Conductivity: 0.083S/cm
- Switching capacity: 0.95-1.01
- Material: perfluorosulfonic acid proton exchange membrane
- used for Vanadium batteries, fuel cells, electrolysis, etc
Related work offers context but measures different samples. A 2019 study reported 0.50 ± 0.11 mS/cm for hydrated keratan sulfate purified from bovine cornea. That result supports the plausibility of proton conduction in hydrated glycosaminoglycans, but it is not a second measurement of shark jelly. The keratan-sulfate study used a distinct sample and should not be treated as a direct replication.
How later findings differ from the 2016 result
Several later measurements concern related materials or different kinds of conductivity. Their numbers cannot be ranked as though they were measurements of the same property under the same conditions.
Rank #3
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】Product Name: Polybenzimidazole Membrane (PBI Membrane) Before use: It is recommended to flat soak with 85% phosphoric acid for 20-24 hours
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】Available in 25 micron and 35 micron thickness two, mainly used in flow batteries, proton membrane fuel cells and battery electrolysis technology and other industries
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】Product features: high stability, high ion selectivity, high mechanical strength characteristics. PBI(Polybenzo Mi Duh): high temperature long-term operating temperature greater than 350°C, instantaneous tolerance temperature up to 760°C, molecular weight > 60,000, can be used in the field of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】Polybenzimidase (PBI) has high thermal stability, and its alkaline amino group can interact with phosphoric acid to obtain high phosphoric acid doping level and stability
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】The recommended process for doping phosphoric acid in PBI membrane is to soak the membrane in 85 wt% HPO at room temperature. Raise the temperature to 130-140°C and hold for at least 3 hours. The membrane must be completely immersed in phosphoric acid. Consider that the membrane expands during doping
| Study and material | Reported result | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| 2016: natural ampullae jelly from sharks and skates | 2 ± 1 mS/cm proton conductivity at room temperature | The direct proton-conductivity measurement behind the historical biological-material record claim. |
| 2019: hydrated keratan sulfate purified from bovine cornea | 0.50 ± 0.11 mS/cm | A different hydrated biological material; relevant to the proposed chemistry, not a shark-jelly replication. |
| 2022: fabricated PVA/PANI hydrogel channel inspired by shark ampullae | 10.8 mS/cm ion conductivity | A synthetic research construct reporting ion conductivity, not proton-specific conductivity of natural jelly. The artificial-channel study explored selective ion sensing and responses to environmental changes. |
| 2025: diluted ampullae jelly sample in a bacterial-diversity study | 2.21 mS/cm average conductivity | The authors describe the measurements as preliminary and limited in number. The result is not established as a proton-specific replication of the 2016 method. The 2025 study reports a different measurement context. |
The artificial hydrogel shows that researchers have built a sensor design inspired by the shark organ; it does not show that natural shark jelly has become a commercial material. University coverage of the original work likewise discussed possible future sensor and proton-exchange applications, not a product already demonstrated from the jelly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What remains uncertain
The 2016 result established an unusual proton-conductivity measurement and suggested a possible chemical explanation. It did not settle the jelly’s precise function in electrosensory transmission, nor does the available evidence establish that the result remains the highest reported for any biological material across all later research.
Rank #4
- Model: N-117 or N117 or Nafion 117
- Thickness: 183 um
- Density: 360 g/m2
- Electrical conductivity: 0.083S/cm
- Switching capacity: 0.89meq/g
University of Washington coverage cited a sensitivity of 5 nV/cm for weak electric fields sharks, skates and rays can detect through integration across ampullae. That figure describes the animals’ sensory capability; it is not the conductivity of the jelly or a performance result for the artificial hydrogel. UC Santa Cruz’s 2016 coverage described future study of the organ’s electrosensing function as a possibility, not a resolved conclusion.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Quick Recap
Best Value
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】Product Name: Polybenzimidazole Membrane (PBI Membrane) Before use: It is recommended to flat soak with 85% phosphoric acid for 20-24 hours
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】Available in 25 micron and 35 micron thickness two, mainly used in flow batteries, proton membrane fuel cells and battery electrolysis technology and other industries
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】Product features: high stability, high ion selectivity, high mechanical strength characteristics. PBI(Polybenzo Mi Duh): high temperature long-term operating temperature greater than 350°C, instantaneous tolerance temperature up to 760°C, molecular weight > 60,000, can be used in the field of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】Polybenzimidase (PBI) has high thermal stability, and its alkaline amino group can interact with phosphoric acid to obtain high phosphoric acid doping level and stability
- 【PBI High Temperature Ionic Membrane】The recommended process for doping phosphoric acid in PBI membrane is to soak the membrane in 85 wt% HPO at room temperature. Raise the temperature to 130-140°C and hold for at least 3 hours. The membrane must be completely immersed in phosphoric acid. Consider that the membrane expands during doping
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
