The dehydration of SPEEK-[H] (protonated sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)) converts 3-fold symmetric (C 3V) hydrated sulfonate sites to sulfonic acid sites with no local symmetry (C 1). Like Nafion-[H], SPEEK-[H] C 3V and C 1 environments afford IR group modes (C 3V,HF (1087 cm-1); C 3V,LF (1026 cm-1) and C 1,HF (1362 cm-1); C 1,LF (904 cm-1)) due to the mechanical coupling of vibrational internal coordinates of an ether link with those of the sulfonate or sulfonic acid exchange site. C 3V and C 1 bands are inversely correlated during membrane hydration/dehydration. Hydrated SPEEK-[M] (M: Cu 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ , Sr 2+ or Ba 2+) exhibits SPEEK-[H] C 3V bands because cation waters of hydration preclude binding to the hydrated exchange site. When cation hydration spheres are thermally stripped at high vacuum, SPEEK-[M] C 3V bands supplant SPEEK-[H] C 3V bands, inducing SPEEK cross-linking. Incomplete cross-linking is evidenced by low intensities of SPEEK-[M] C 1,HF bands. The 1362 cm-1 band intensities are inversely correlated with cation hydration enthalpies.