Functionalized poly(aryl ether sulfone) copolymers

A copolymer (P1) comprising:

• recurring units (RP1) of formula (M):
• recurring units (R*P1) of formula (N):
• wherein
• each R1 is independently selected from the group consisting of a halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, ether, thioether, carboxylic acid, ester, amide, imide, alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonate, alkyl sulfonate, alkali or alkaline earth metal phosphonate, alkyl phosphonate, amine and quaternary ammonium;
• each i is independently an integer from 0 to 4;
• T is selected from the group consisting of a bond, —CH2—;
• —O—;
• —SO2—;
• —S—;
• —C(O)—;
• —C(CH3)2—;
• —C(CF3)2—;
• —C(═CCl2)—;
• —C(CH3)(CH2CH2COOH)—;
• —N═N—;
• —RaC═CRb—, where each Ra and Rb, independently of one another, is a hydrogen or a C1-C12-alkyl, C1-C12-alkoxy, or C6-C18-aryl group;
• —(CH2)m— and —(CF2)m— with m being an integer from 1 to 6;
• an aliphatic divalent group, linear or branched, of up to 6 carbon atoms;
• and combinations thereof,
• GN is selected from the group consisting of at least one of the following formulas (GN1) to (GN6):
• in which
• W is a bond or —SO2—, preferably —SO2—;
• each k is independently an integer from 0 to 4;
• each j is independently an integer from 3 to 7;
• each R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of:
• —(CH2)u—COOH, with u being an integer from 1 to 5, with the proviso that when T and W are both —SO2— then u is not 1 or 2,
• —(CH2)k—OH, with k being an integer from 1 to 5,
• —(CH2)p—NRaRb, with p being an integer from 1 to 5, and a and b being independently a C1-C6 alkyl or H, with the proviso that Ra and Rb cannot be both CH3,
• —(CH2)q—SO3Na, with q being an integer from 1 to 5,
• —(CH2)a—COCH3, with a being an integer from 0 to 10
• —(CH2)r—Si(OCH3)3, with r being an integer from 1 to 5,
• —(CH2)s—(CF2)t—CF3, with s being an integer from 1 to 5 and t being an integer from 1 to 10,
• —C(O)—Rc, with Re being a C1-C6 alkyl or H,
• —(CH2)v—CH3, with v being an integer from 5 to 30, and
• —(CH2)w—Ar, with w being an integer from 1 to 10 and Ar comprising one or two aromatic or heteroaromatic rings;
• and
• wherein the copolymer (P1) has a glass transition temperature Tg being equal to or greater than the Tgh of the homopolymer consisting essentially of the same recurring units (RP1), said glass transition temperatures being measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).