TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Polymers: Aromatic polymers, especially polyethersulfones such as Udel (RTM: PSU), Victrex(RTM: PES), Radel (RTM: PPhSU) and Radel or Ultrason (RTM: PEES), polyether-ketones such as Victrex (RTM: PEEK), Victrex (RTM: PEK), Ultrapek (RTM: PEKEKK) and Hoechst (RTM: PEEKK), polyphenylenes such as poly-(p-phenylene), poly-(m-phenylene) and poly-(p-stat-m-phenylene), polyphenylene ethers such as poly-(2,6-dimethylphenylene ether) and poly-(2,6-diphenylphenylene ether), or polyphenylene sulfide. These polymers may also carry functional groups such as nitro, halogen, R2, -N(R2)2, SO2R2, NO, SO2M, SO2Hal or SO2(NR2)2. Preferred Method: Reaction at +20 to -80degreesC in an ether solvent such as diethyl ether, THF, glyme, diglyme or triglyme. Preferred Definitions:    M = lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium, -MgHal, -ZnHal or CuLi;    Hal = F, Cl, Br or I;    R1 = Hal, R3, OR3, N(R3)2N3, ONO, imidazol-1-yl, imidazol-2-yl, pyrazol-1-yl or pyrazol-3-yl;    R3 = CnH2n-1, Cn(CnH2n-1)sn-1, phenyl, naphthyl, anthryl, aryl or heteroaryl;    n = 1-40;    R2 = CnH2n-1, Cn(CnH2n-1)2n-1, aryl, heteroaryl or N(R2)2;    aryl, heteroaryl = a range of aryl and heteroaryl groups (optionally substituted with amino and/or other groups and/or with protective groups), e.g. phenyl, naphthyl, biphenyl, pyridyl, pyridopyridyl, imidazolyl, pyrazolyl, benzimidazolyl, triazolyl etc. (132 types of groups shown);    Poly = residues of polymers with aromatic main chains, especially chains comprising groups of formula -Phe-C(R6)2-Phe and/or -(Ar)x-, optionally linked together by groups such as -O-, -SO2-, -CO-, -S- or -SO-;    Phe = 1,4-phenylene;    Ar = 1,4-phenylene with two R8 groups at p ositions 3 and 5;    R6 = H, 1-30C alkyl, halogen or 1-30C perfluoroalkyl, preferably methyl or trifluoromethyl;    R8 = phenyl or groups as listed for R6, preferably methyl, phenyl or trifluoromethyl;    x = 1-1000    EXAMPLE - A solution of 20 g N-triphenylmethyl-imidazole in 1 l THF was treated at -60degreesC with 7 ml 10-N n-butyl-lithium solution, reacted for 2 hours at -60degreesC, brought to 0degreesC over 12 hours, treated over 15 minutes with a solution of 9 g polysulfone-carboxylic acid methyl ester (1.6 COOCH3 groups per repeat unit) in 100 ml THF and then reacted for 6 hours at 0degreesC. The mixture was worked up by hydrolysis with 10 ml isopropanol/water (1:1) followed by warming to 20degreesC, precipitation in 3 l isopropanol and hydrolysis with a solution of 10 ml hydrochloric acid in 100 ml methanol (12 hours). This gave 11.2 g modified polysulfone with 0.36 imidazole groups per repeat unit.