TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The photoinitiator is alkyl or aromatic ketones comprises benzophenone, benzoin, acetophenone, 4,4-bis(dimethylamino)benzophenone, benzoin methyl ether, (2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenylpropan-1-one), (1-(4-dodecylphenyl)-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropan-1-one), (1-(4-isopropylphenyl)-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropan-1-one) and/or 2-(1-methylethyl)-9H-thioxanthen-9-one, 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenylpropan-1-one and camphor. Preferred Method: The method further comprises: providing a photoinitiator and mixing the photoinitiator with the organic solvent; removing the organic solvent from the solution or suspension or emulsion product by drying; and imbibing the dried product in an organic or aqueous solvent. The irradiating step is performed by irradiating with UV-radiation (preferred) (200-400 nm) and/or gamma-radiation. The organic solvent does not chemically react in the crosslinking reaction. The irradiating step is performed in the absence of water or in the absence of an aqueous solution. The irradiating occurs with a power of 1-300 mW/cm2 or with an irradiance dose of 1-50 J/cm2.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The polymer is polyethylene oxide, poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) (both preferred), polyalkylene oxide, polyarylene oxide, polyglycidyl ether, polyalkylene oxide, polyarylene oxide and/or polyglycidyl ether, polyalkylene oxide, polyarylene oxide and/or polyglycidyl ether, copolymer of alkylene oxide, arylene oxide and/or glycidyl ether and/or a copolymer of polyalkylene oxide and polyarylene oxide, where the polymers are random, block or multiblock polymers in their structure. The organic solvent is capable of dissolving the polymer. The organic solvent is a non-aqueous solvent. The organic solvent is gamma-butyrolactone, propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate and/or ethylene carbonate or other highly polar aprotic solvents of N-methylpyrrolidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, acetonitrile, N,N-dimethyl-formamide, dimethylsulfoxide, methoxypropionitrile, Pluronicsurfactant (RTM: Poloxamers and block copolymers) and oligomers of polyethyleneglycol. The crosslinking agent is pentaerythritol triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, oligo(ethyleneglycol)diacrylate, poly(ethyleneglycoldi(meth)acrylate), tetra(ethyleneglycol)dimethacrylate or trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. The polymer is dissolved in the organic solvent at a concentration of 1-20 (preferably 2-6) wt.%. EXAMPLE - A polymer (e.g. polyalkyleneoxide) was added to an organic solvent (e.g. propylene carbonate) in a beaker (25 ml) equipped with a stirrer and a gas inlet tube. The mixture was stirred at 65degreesC under argon until complete dissolution and left to stay overnight. A definite amount of initiator (e.g. benzophenone) and crosslinking agent (5 wt.%)(1:4 or 1:9) were dissolved in the solvent (1 ml), then added to the solution under stirring. An aliquot of polymer solution (5 ml) was poured into a teflon petri dish with a glass plate forming a thin layer, which was purged with argon for 5 minutes, and then ultraviolet irradiated for 2 minutes to give a crosslinked polymer gel.