A polymer comprising a polymer chain having at least one fused aromatic imide pendant group, wherein the polymer is represented by formula: wherein each variable is independently R 1 is a substituent on Q ring in any position available for bonding to a substituent group and R 1 is independently represented by at least one electron withdrawing group selected from -CN, -NO 2,-SO 2 NR' 2, -C R', -SO 3 M, -C OM, halo, -NH 2, or -OR'; a is 1 or 2, or 1; W is oxygen, sulphur, >NH, or >NG; R' is independently -H, or an optionally-substituted alkyl, and the substituents is hydroxyl or halo, or mixtures thereof; M may be H, a metal cation, -NR' 4 +, or mixtures thereof; R 2 is a C 1 to C 20 hydrocarbylene group or a C 1 to C 20 hydrocarbonylene group, when R 2 contains more than 2 carbon atoms, the hydrocarbylene group or hydrocarbonylene group is linear or branched; R 3 is H or C 1-50 -optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group that bonds to a terminal oxygen atom of the polymer chain forming a terminal ether or terminal ester group and may or may not contain a group capable of polymerization such as a vinyl group, or C 1-50 -hydrocarbonyl group that bonds to the oxygen atom of the polymer chain forming a terminal ester group or terminal urethane group and may or may not contain a group capable of polymerization such as a vinyl group, and the substituent is halo, ether, ester, or mixtures thereof; Pol is a homopolymer chain of ethylene oxide or a copolymer chain of ethylene oxide, wherein the ethylene oxide constitutes 40 wt % to 99.99 wt % of the copolymer chain and where in the polymer chain is selected from the group consisting a poly(ether), poly(ester) and mixtures thereof; u = 1 to 3; v = 1 to 2; w = 1 to 3 v = 2 when W = >NG; v = 1 when W = Oxygen, Sulphur, or >NG; G is a hydrocarbyl group containing 1 to 200, or 1 to 100, or 1 to 30 carbon atoms; and Q is a fused aromatic ring containing 4n+2 π-electrons, wherein n = 2, and Q is bonded to the imide group in such a way to form a 5 or 6 membered imide ring. R 1 is a substituent on Q ring in any position available for bonding to a substituent group and R 1 is independently represented by at least one electron withdrawing group selected from -CN, -NO 2,-SO 2 NR' 2, -C R', -SO 3 M, -C OM, halo, -NH 2, or -OR'; a is 1 or 2, or 1; W is oxygen, sulphur, >NH, or >NG; R' is independently -H, or an optionally-substituted alkyl, and the substituents is hydroxyl or halo, or mixtures thereof; M may be H, a metal cation, -NR' 4 +, or mixtures thereof; R 2 is a C 1 to C 20 hydrocarbylene group or a C 1 to C 20 hydrocarbonylene group, when R 2 contains more than 2 carbon atoms, the hydrocarbylene group or hydrocarbonylene group is linear or branched; R 3 is H or C 1-50 -optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group that bonds to a terminal oxygen atom of the polymer chain forming a terminal ether or terminal ester group and may or may not contain a group capable of polymerization such as a vinyl group, or C 1-50 -hydrocarbonyl group that bonds to the oxygen atom of the polymer chain forming a terminal ester group or terminal urethane group and may or may not contain a group capable of polymerization such as a vinyl group, and the substituent is halo, ether, ester, or mixtures thereof; Pol is a homopolymer chain of ethylene oxide or a copolymer chain of ethylene oxide, wherein the ethylene oxide constitutes 40 wt % to 99.99 wt % of the copolymer chain and where in the polymer chain is selected from the group consisting a poly(ether), poly(ester) and mixtures thereof; u = 1 to 3; v = 1 to 2; w = 1 to 3 v = 2 when W = >NG; v = 1 when W = Oxygen, Sulphur, or >NG; G is a hydrocarbyl group containing 1 to 200, or 1 to 100, or 1 to 30 carbon atoms; and Q is a fused aromatic ring containing 4n+2 π-electrons, wherein n = 2, and Q is bonded to the imide group in such a way to form a 5 or 6 membered imide ring.