TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The salt precursor comprises a sulfonate derivative selected metanilate, sulfanilate, nitro aniline sulfonate, amino aniline sulfonate, methyl aniline sulfonate, or amino phenol sulfonate. The acid chloride comprises a benzoyl derivative. The solvent is selected from acetone, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, hexane, water, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, toluene or chloroform. The crosslinking agent is selected from ethylene glycol dimethacrylate derivative, ethylene glycol diacrylate derivative, methyelenebisacrylamide derivative, or divinylbenzene derivative.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: The method further involves providing a hydrophobic polymer and combining the hydrophobic polymer 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 before casting the polymerizable surfactant on the substrate; and pouring the polymerizable surfactant into a mold. In the method, providing a polymerizable salt surfactant involves synthesizing the polymerizable salt surfactant which involves reacting an acid chloride and a salt precursor. The method of crosslinking the polymerizable salt surfactant involves photopolymerization, thermal crosslinking, electron-beam irradiation or chemical crosslinking. Preferred Components: The hydrophobic polymer comprises butyl rubber, halobutyl rubber, butadiene rubber, neoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, poly(propylene oxide), poly(vinylchloride), poly(propylene), poly(ethylene), poly(acrylates), poly(methacrylates), poly(styrene), poly(amides), polyesters, poly(lactic acid) and/or poly(glycolic acid). The substrate comprises metal, polymer and/or composite; and a macroporous polymer membrane support. The polymerizable salt surfactant has formula ((X)R)nL'(I')xM'. The polymerizable salt surfactant further comprises a Gemini surfactant of formula (((X)R)nL'I'M')-Y'-(((X)R)nL'I'M').X=polymerizable functional group;R=tail group;n=number of tail groups (preferably 2);I'=ionic head group having a first charge (preferably phosphonium or ammonium);x=number of ionic head groups (preferably 2);L'=linking moiety that connects the at least one tail group to the ionic head group;M'=ionic group having a second charge (where the second charge is opposite the first charge) (preferably OH-);andY'=1-10C aliphatic group. EXAMPLE - No suitable example is given.