Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is characterized by high efficiency and environmental protection, and has great potential for development in solving energy and environmental problems.Proton exchange membrane (PEM) is one of the key components of PEMFC, which affects the performance and cost of the cell. Existing commercial Nafion type PEMs have a problems in balance of high cost, conductivity and mechanical properties. PEMs with low cost and excellent performance can improve the performance and commercialization of fuel cells. To address the compatibility problem of conductivity and mechanical properties of PEMs, researchers have designed a variety of enhanced PEM materials in terms of membrane constituent materials and microcosmic nano structures. Here, the requirements of PEMFC for PEM are briefly introduced, and the preparation methods of novel PEM based on doped nanomaterials, composite resin cross?linking and porous skeleton are mainly analyzed. The characteristics of membrane properties before and after modification are compared, and the problems in the preparation process of PEM are briefly analyzed, and the future research directions of PEM are further prospected.