TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The aromatic sulfonate is nitro aniline sulfonate, amino aniline sulfonate, methyl aniline sulfonate, amino toluene sulfonate, benzene disulfonate, or sulfanilyl group. The fluorinated compound is fluorinated amino acid (preferably alpha,alpha-difluoro-beta-alanine). The crosslinking agent is selected from an ethylene glycol dimethacrylate derivative, an ethylene glycol diacrylate derivative, a methyelenebisacrylamide derivative, or a divinylbenzene derivative. Preferred Reactants: The salt precursor comprises a sulfonate derivative selected from metanilate, sulfanilate, nitro aniline sulfonate, amino aniline sulfonate, methyl aniline sulfonate, and amino phenol sulfonate. The acid chloride is benzoyl derivative. The solvent (s2) is selected from acetone, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, hexane, water, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, toluene and chloroform.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: The step of crosslinking the polymerizable salt surfactant involves photopolymerization, thermal crosslinking, electron-beam irradiation or chemical crosslinking. The step of providing a polymerizable salt surfactant involves synthesizing the polymerizable salt surfactant by reacting an acid chloride and a salt precursor. The method further involves providing a hydrophobic polymer and combining with the polymerizable salt surfactant; providing a crosslinking agent; casting the polymerizable surfactant on to a substrate to form a film or coating; dissolving the polymerizable surfactant in a solvent (s2) before casting the polymerizable surfactant on the substrate; and pouring the polymerizable surfactant into a mold. Preferred Components: The polymerizable salt surfactant has the formula: ((X)R)nL(I')xM'. The polymerizable salt surfactant (s1) is ((X1)R1)n'L1(I1)x'M1; and further comprises a Gemini surfactant of formula ((X1)R1)n'L1-I1-Y1- (I1(M1)(-L1((X1)R1)n'))M1. The hydrophobic polymer is butyl rubber, halobutyl rubber, butadiene rubber, neoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, poly(propylene oxide), poly(vinylchloride), poly(propylene), poly(ethylene), poly(acrylate), poly(methacrylate), poly(styrene), poly(amide), polyester, poly(lactic acid) and/or poly(glycolic acid). The substrate is metal, polymer and/or composite (preferably macroporous polymer membrane support).X and X1=polymerizable functional group (preferably acrylate, methacrylate, diene, alkynyl, allyl, vinyl, acrylamide, hydroxyl, fumarate or isocyanate);R and R1=tail group (preferably 5-20C hydrocarbon chain);n=integer signifying the number of tail groups (preferably 3);I'=ionic head group (preferably aromatic sulfonate or fluorinated compound);x=integer signifying the number of ionic head groups (preferably 1);L and L1=linking moiety (preferably alkylene, amide, ether, amine, alkene, benzyl, cyclohexyl, halo-benzyl, phenyl, phenacyl, aniline, benzoyl, benzoyloxy, benzyloxycarbonyl, nitrobenzoyl or nitrobenzyl);M'=cationic group (preferably Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Be2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Ag+, Ni2+, Ni3+, Cd3+, Zn2+);n'=integer signifying the number of tail groups (preferably 2);I1=ionic head group having a first charge (preferably phosphonium or ammonium);x'=integer signifying the number of ionic head groups (preferably 2);M1=ionic group having a second charge, where the second charge is opposite the first charge (preferably OH-);andY1=1-10C aliphatic group.Preferred Electrolyte: The polymerizable salt surfactant comprises a lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) monomer. The nanopores have an average pore size of 5-50 Angstrom . The crosslinked self-assembly comprises hexagonal phase and/or inverted hexagonal phase; or cubic phase and/or bicontinuous cubic phase; or lamellar phase. The crosslinked self-assembly comprises a crosslinking agent. The crosslinked self-assembly has a conductivity of at least 1x10-5 S/cm at 25degreesC. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.