Patent ID: 7847035

Claim:
A method of making a crosslinked polymer comprising the steps of: a) providing a highly fluorinated polymer comprising pendent groups which include a group according to the formula —SO 2 X, wherein each X is independently selected from F, Cl, Br, I, —OH or —O—SO 2 R 2 wherein R 2 is an aliphatic group containing 1-18 carbon atoms which may be substituted; and b) reacting said polymer with a crosslinking agent according to the formula Ar n R 1 , wherein each Ar is selected independently from aromatic groups containing 6-24 carbon or nitrogen atoms and wherein each Ar may be substituted, wherein R 1 is a direct bond or an aromatic or aliphatic linking group, wherein R 1 may be straight-chain, branched, cyclic, heteroatomic, polymeric, halogenated, fluorinated or substituted, and where n is at least 2, to form crosslinks comprising units according to the formula (—SO 2 Ar) n R 1 .