TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: An ion conductive copolymer has formulae (a) ((-((Ar1-T)t-Ar1-Z-(Ar2-U)u-Ar2-Z-)i)a raised to the power m)/-((Ar3-V)v-Ar3-Z-)v raised to the power n/-(((Ar4-W)w-Ar4-Z-(Ar5-X)x-Ar5-Z-)j)c raised to the power o/-(((Ar6-Y)y-Ar6-Z-)d raised to the power p/); (b) ((-((Ar1(Q)-T)t-Ar1-Z-(Ar2-U)u-Ar2-Z-)i)a raised to the power m)/-((Ar3(Q)-V)v-Ar3-Z-)v raised to the power n/-(((Ar4-W)w-Ar4-Z-(Ar5-X)x-Ar5-Z-)j)c raised to the power o/-(((Ar6-Y)y-Ar6-Z-)d raised to the power p/); or (c) ((-((Ar1-L-R1-(Q)-T)t-Ar1-Z-(Ar2-U)u-Ar2-Z-)i)a raised to the power m)/-((Ar3(L-R1-Q)-V)v-Ar3-Z-)v raised to the power n/-(((Ar4-W)w-Ar4-Z-(Ar5-X)x-Ar5-Z-)j)c raised to the power o/-(((Ar6-Y)y-Ar6-Z-)d raised to the power p/).Ar1-Ar6=aromatic moieties; at least one of Ar1 comprises a pendant bis(aryl)sulfonimide group; at least one of Ar3 comprises a pendant bis(aryl)sulfonimide group;L-R1-Q=pendant moiety;L=linker group, particularly -O-, -S-, -S(O)2, -C(O), or 1-6C alkyl;M=H or alkali metal cation;T, U, V W, X,Y=linking moieties;Q=pendant moiety, particularly SO2-NM-S(O)2-R2;R1, R2=compound of formula (IIA)-(IIG);R3-R5=H or 1-6C alkyl;Rf=perfluoroalkyl;Z=O or S;a, b, c, d=mole fractions;orsum of a, b, c, d=1; at least one of a and b, and at least one of c and d=greater than 0;m, n, o, p=number of different oligomers or monomers in the copolymer;i,j=integers greater than 1;andt, u, v, w, x, y=0 or 1. Preferred Definitions:    Ar1-Ar4=optionally substituted Ph, napthyl, terphenyl, or optionally substituted aryl nitrile;    Ar1-Ar3=sulfonic acid group different from Ar1 and Ar3 containing pendant bis(aryl)sulfonimide group;and    T, U, V W, X,Y=bond O, s, C(O), S(O)2, (cyclo)alkyl, particularly -(CH3)C(CH3)-, -CH(Ph)-, -C(Ph2)-, -O-Ph-O-, structure (IA)-(ID) fluorenyl, or -CH2-, -S-, -S(O)(O)-; fluoroalkyl particularly -(CF3)C(CF3)-; -O-; optionally substituted aryl; or heterocycle.    EXAMPLE - Difluorobenzophenone (6.15 g), 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone-3,3'-disulfonate sodium salt (5.11 g), monomer (2.12 g), cyclohexylidenebisphenol (11.62 g), and potassium carbonate (7.78 g) were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (120 g), and toluene (60 g), and added to flask with trap, reflux condenser, and nitrogen inlet. The reaction mixture was heated at 130 degrees C for 4 hours and then 170 degrees C for 2 hours. The reaction mixture was precipitated in methanol to recover the bis(aryl)sulfonimide functionalized polymer. The recovered polymer was dissolved in NMP and cast into a membrane, washed with water, treated with sulfuric acid (1.5M), and rinsed and dried to obtain proton exchange membrane.