TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preparation (Claimed): Preparation of (III) or (IV) comprises: reacting PBI of formula (I) or (II) with metal hydride to obtain corresponding metal salt of PBI; treating the metal salt of PBI with reagent (R51X2) or (R6X3) to obtain N-quaternized form of PBI (III) or (IV); and anion exchange of N-quaternized form of PBI by treating with metal salts to obtain polymeric forms of ionic liquids (III) or (IV).R51, R6 = straight chain, branched, cyclic, aromatic, 1-C20 alkyl, trialkyl silyl, cyclo alkyl, aryl, arylene, alkylene, or heterocyclyl ring (including pyridinyl, pyrazinyl, furanyl, quinolinyl or thiophenyl), or their derivatives substituted with functional groups including halo, nitro, ether, aldehyde, ketone, OH, carboxylic, sulfonic or ester; andX2, X3 = I, Cl, Br, F or NO2.Preferred Components: In the PBI based polymeric forms of ionic liquids the molar fraction of A is 0-99% and B1 is 1-100%. The polymeric forms of ionic liquids have an ability to form films, sheets, granules, flakes and powders. The metal salts are silver tetrafluoroborate, sodium tetrafluoroborate lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide, silver acetate, sodium acetate, silver haloacetate, sodium haloacetate, silver tirfluroacetate, sodium trifluoroacetate, silver heptafluro butyrate, sodium heptafluro butyrate, silver methane sulfonate, sodium methanesulfonate, silver trifluromethane sulfonate, sodium trifluromethane sulfonate silver para-toluene sulfonate, sodium para-toluene sulfonate silver benzoate, sodium benzoate, silver nitrate, sodium nitrate, silver tetrafluoroborate, silver amide, lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide, lithium nitrate, lithium nitrite, lithium bromide, lithium sulfate, lithium sulfite, lithium amide, lithium chlorite, lithium hypochlorite, lithium oxalate, lithium formate monohydrate, metal salt of tetrachloroferrate, hexaflourophospate, dicyanonitride, hexadecyl phospate, hydrocarbon ion of formula (C12H25C6H4O3-), thiocyanate, acrylic acid 3-sulfo-propyl ester, ethenesulfonic acid, azanidylene-~13-sulfanyl phenyl carbonate, o-tosylate, pyrazolium anion, imadaolium anion, triazole anion, tetrazole anion, oxazole anion, indolium anion, benzotriazole anion, phenoxide anion, bis((perfluoroethyl)sulfonyl)imide, diethyleneglycolmonomethylethersulfate, alkylylsulfate, fluoro alkylsulfate, tetracyanoborate, tetrafluorosuccinate, hexafluoroglutarate, oxalate, malonate, glycolate, L-tartrate, maleate, mucobromate, nitrilotriacetate, 5-amino tetrazolate, DL-tartrate, lactate, gluconate and/or malate. Preferred Process: In the process the degree of N-quarternization is 1-100%. EXAMPLE - Three-neck round bottom flask was charged with polyphosphoric acid (450 g) and heated with stirring 100 degrees C under constant flow of nitrogen. 3,3'-Diaminobenzidine (15 g) and isophthalic acid (11.63 g) or 5-tert-butylisophthalic acid (15.56 g) was added to the reaction mixture. The temperature was slowly raised to 200 degrees C and maintained for 10-14 hours, depending on the dicarboxylic acid. The polymer was obtained by precipitating the formed solution into water. The precipitated polymer was washed with water, followed by aqueous sodium bicarbonate and water. The obtained polymer was dried at 80 degrees C under vacuum.