Graft polyarylether copolymers

A graft polyarylether (“PAE”) copolymer (P1) comprising:

• collectively at least 50 mol. % of sulfone recurring units (RP1a) of formula (M1) and functionalized sulfone recurring units (R*P1a) of formula (N1), said mol. % being based on the total number of moles of recurring units in the graft PAE copolymer (P1):
• or
• collectively at least 50 mol. % of ketone recurring units (RP1b) of formula (M2) and functionalized ketone recurring units (R*P1b) of formula (N2), said mol. % being based on the total number of moles of recurring units in the graft PAE copolymer (P1):
• wherein the molar ratio of recurring units (RP1a)/recurring units (R*P1a) or recurring units (RP1b)/recurring units (R*P1b) is at least 1/5 and at most 100/1;
• and
• 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 0 or an integer from 1 to 4;
• T is selected from the group consisting of a bond;
• —C(CH3)2—;
• —SO2—;
• —O—;
• —S—;
• —C(O)—;
• —C(CF3)2—;
• —C(═CCl2)—;
• —C(CH3)(CH2CH2COOH)—;
• —N═N—;
• and —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 the following formulae (GN1) to (GN10) and any combinations thereof:
• in which
• W in the group GN is selected from the group consisting of a bond, —SO2—, —C(CH3)2— and any combination thereof,
• each k in the group GN is independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 4;
• the two grafted polymers P2 in the group GN, being the same or different from each other, are grafted poly(vinylpyrrolidone) polymers (‘PVP’);
• and
• the two I in the group GN, being the same or different from each other, represent a fragment of a free radical initiator and/or a fragment of a PVP polymer.