TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - The ion conductive copolymer comprises at least two different hydrophobic oligomers. The ion conductive copolymer having a group of formula -((Ar1-X1-Ar2-X2-Ar3-X3)m-Ar1-X1-Ar2-)a/((Ar4-X4-Ar5-X5-Ar6-X6)n-Ar4-X4-Ar5-)b/(-Ar7-X7-Ar8-)c-R1-Ar9-Y-Ar10-R2-, ((Ar3a-X3-Ar1-X1-Ar2-X2)m1-Ar3a-)a/((Ar6a-X6- Ar4-X4-Ar5-X5)n-Ar6a-)b/(Ar7-X7-Ar8)c-R1-Ar9-Y-Ar10-R2-, or ((Ar3b-X3-Ar1-X1-Ar2-X2)m-Ar3b-)a/((Ar6b-X6- Ar4-X4-Ar5-X5)n-Ar6b-)b/(Ar7-X7-Ar8)c-R1-Ar9-Y-Ar10-R2- (preferably a group of formula (I) or (II). The ion conductive groups comprise SO3-, -COO-, H2PO3- or sulfonimide. (Structure (I) and (II),Ar1, Ar2, Ar4, Ar5, Ar9 and Ar10=G1;G1=phenyl, substituted phenyl napthyl, terphenyl or aryl nitrile (optionally substituted);Ar7 and Ar8=an ion conducting group or G1;X1 and X4=-C(O)- or -S(O)2;X2, X3, X5 and X6=-O- or -S-;X7=a bond, -C(O)- or S(O)2-;Ar3 and Ar6=-C(CH3)2(1,4-phenylene)C(CH3)2-, G2 or G3;G2=-(1,4-phenylene)C(CH3)2(1,4-phenylene)-, -(1,4-phenylene)C(CF3)2(1,4-phenylene)-, -(1,4-phenylene)-S-(1,4-phenylene)-, -(1,4-phenylene)-S(O)2-(1,4-phenylene)-, -(1,4-phenylene)-CH2-(1,4-phenylene)-, -(1,4-phenylene)-O-(1,4-phenylene)-, -(1,4-phenylene)-O-(1,4-phenylene)-O-(1,4-phenylene)- or cyclohexan-1,1-diyl;G3=-C(CH3)2(1,3-phenylene)C(CH3)2-, 9H-fluorene (di-substituted at 9 position by T), 9H-fluoren-9,9-diyl or -T-CO-T-CO-T-;T=1,4-phenylene;R1 and R2=O or S;a, b and c=0.01 - 0.98;a+b+c=1;m and n=1 - 12;Y=a bond, -C(O)- or -S(O2)-;Ar3a and Ar6a=G2 or G3;m1=1 - 10;Ar3b=G3;Ar6b=G2.For (I) a is 0.05 - 0.2 or 0.13, b is 0.01 - 0.2 or 0.036 and c is 0.5 - 095 or 0.834; and Ar is biphenyl, -(1,4-phenylene)C(CF3)2(1,4-phenylene)- or 9H-fluoren-9,9-diyl. For (II) a is 0.13, b is 0.036 and c is 0.834; and Ar is biphenyl. Provide that when Y is a bond then Ar10 may be present or absent. EXAMPLE - In a three necked round bottom flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer, thermocouple, heating mantle, controller, nitrogen inlet and Dean-Stark traplcondenser, 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone (Bis Z) (13.4180 g), 3,3'-disulfonated-4,4'-difluorobenzophone (S-Bis K) sodium salt (17.5670 g), oligomer 24 (n = 8) (3 1.8444 g), anhydrous potassium carbonate (8.9837 g) were dissolved in a mixture dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) (250 ml) and toluene (125 ml). The mixture was heated to toluene flux with stirring, keeping the temperature at 140?Oc for 6hours then increase temperature to 173 - 175degreesC for 4 - 4.5 hours. The reaction mixture was precipitated into methanol (2 l). The polymer was then washed with DI water 4 times. The polymer was found to have an inherent viscosity of 0.83 dL/g in the proton form.