TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Methods: The synthesis of monomer (14) involves the transetherification of 1-benzyl-2-hydroxymethyl-imidazole (7) with ethyl vinyl ether (15), preferably in presence of mercury acetate, to give 1-benzyl-2-vinyloxymethyl-imidazole (14). The synthesis of monomer (6) involves reacting (7) with chloroethyl vinyl ether (8) in presence of a phase-transfer catalyst (preferably benzyl-triethyl-ammonium chloride) to give 1-benzyl-2-(vinyloxyethyloxymethyl)-imidazole (6). M2 involves (a) cationic homopolymerisation of (6) or (14) in presnce of a cationic initiator such as zinc iodide, mercury(II) iodide or Crivello salts, or (b) radical copolymerisation of (6) or (14) with another comonomer, or (c) radical terpolymerisation with two other monomers. Suitable comonomers are electron-accepting vinyl monomers such as fluoro- or perfluoro-monomers (11), especially fluoroalkenes (e.g. chlorotrifluoroethylene, hexafluoropropene, trifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene or pentafluoropropene), perfluoro-olefins and/or vinylidene fluorides, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ethers or perfluoroalkoxyalkyl vinyl ethers. M3 involves deprotection of (12) by reaction with palladium(II) hydroxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Polymers: Protected polymers containing acid functions in addition to the above monomer units. Preferred Definitions:    R1=vinyl or vinyloxyethyl    EXAMPLE - A mixture of 44 g imidazole, 100 g benzyl chloride, 60 g potassium hydroxide and 700 ml THF was refluxed for 120 hours and then worked up by evaporation of solvent followed by redissolution in 500 ml dichloromethane (DCM), washing with 3 x 100 ml water, evaporation, and recrystallisation from toluene, to give 67 g 1-benzylimidazole (BzIm). A mixture of 50 g BzIm, 15 g para-formaldehyde and 150 ml dioxan was heated in an autoclave for 20 hours at 135 degrees C and then worked up by evaporation under reduced pressure, redissolution in 400 ml DCM, washing, evaporation and recrystallisation from 100 ml ethyl acetate, to give 30 g (50% based on imidazole) 1-benzyl-2-hydroxymethyl-imidazole (7). A solution of 4.7 g (7) in 15 ml toluene was treated with 0.54 g benzyl-triethyl-ammonium chloride and 5.6 g chloroethyl vinyl ether followed by 100 ml 20-N sodium hydroxide solution, stirred for 24 hours at 90 degrees C, cooled and mixed with 250 ml ether; the organic phase was worked up by washing with water (to pH 7), filtration and evaporation of ether to give 5.3 g (85%) 1-benzyl-2-vinyloxyethyloxymethyl-imidazole (6). A mixture of 10 g protected monomer (6), 210 g tert.-butyl perpivalate and 60 ml 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane was cooled to -80 degrees C in an autoclave, then 10.1 g chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) was added and the mixture was heated at 75 degrees C for 14 hours, cooled to room temperature (RT), purged of unreacted CTFE and worked up by dissolution in DCM and re-precipitation with pentane, to give the copolymer poly-(E.V-alt-CTFE) as an orange powder. A mixture of 100 ml acetic acid, 4 g copolymer and 1 g palladium hydroxide catalyst was hydrogenated for 48 hours at 70 degrees C with hydrogen at 32 bar, and then worked up by filtration, evaporation, refluxing with 50 ml 5% sodium carbonate solution, filtration, washing with 3 x 50 ml water, drying, dissolution in methanol and precipitation with ether, to give 2 g orange solid with 90% deprotection. The final polymer showed a glass transition point of 33 degrees C, a thermal stability of up to 200 degrees C and an average mol. wt. of 8500.