Synthesis and characterization of single ion conducting poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/Li-laponite nanocomposites are reported. The amount of PEO that can be intercalated into laponite, a synthetic hectorite with high surface area, ranges from about 0.7g/g Li-laponite when the polymer average molecular weight is 1,000 or above, to about 1 g/g for oligomers of average molecular weight 500. The interlayer spacing increases from about 10 {angstrom} in the dry clay to 20--24 {angstrom} in the nanocomposites, depending upon polymer molecular weight, and the average particle size increases proportionally, but is still in the sub-micron range. AC impedance measurements on the clear, slightly brittle, self-supporting films indicate that the nanocomposite conductivity is greatly enhanced over that of the dry clay. A maximum of about 10{sup {minus}6} S/cm at 80 C is obtained for materials containing a slight excess of polymer, and conductivities of nanocomposites containing PEO were generally higher than that of those containing oxymethylene linked polyethylene glycol (amorphous PEOs). Suggestions for further improving conductivity and mechanical properties of these novel materials are presented.