Solid polymer membranes from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PAA) with varying doping ratios of sorbitol were prepared using the solution casting method. The films were examined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and AC impedance spectroscopy. The impedance measurements showed that the ionic conductivity of PVAPAA polymer membrane can be controlled by controlled doping of sorbitol within the polymer blends. The PVAPAAsorbitol membranes were found to exhibit excellent thermal properties and were stable for a wide temperature range (398563K), which creates a possibility of using them as suitable polymers for device applications. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013