A new route to enhance the cell performance of a Nafion proton exchange membrane is provided by incorporating fluoroalkyl modified SiO2 nanoparticles. In favor of the achieved amphiphilic-like surface characteristics of SiO2 nanoparticles, the so-formed nanocomposite membrane exhibited great enhancement of single cell performance at 80 °C: ~34% increase in output power relative to the Nafion reference and a superior maximum output power as high as 579.6 mW cm(-2).