Aprotic ionic polymers containing trimethylsilylmethyl-substituted imidazolium structures are synthesized using free radical polymerization of monomers comprising a vinyl group either at the cation or at the anion. Bulk polymerization is used for the room temperature ionic liquid monomer 1-trimethylsilylmethyl-3-vinylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide. In contrast to this, solution polymerization is applied for 1-trimethylsilylmethyl-3-methylimidazolium p-styrene sulfonate because this monomer undergoes self-polymerization during melting at a higher temperature than selected for bulk polymerization.Glass transition temperature (T g ) of the ionic polymers and intrinsic viscosity measurements indicate differences between these polymers, which are composed either of a polycation with a trimethylsilylmethyl substituent at each vinylimidazolium segment of the polymer chain and mobile bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (NTf 2 − ) anions or a polyanion containing p-styrene sulfonate segments and mobile 1-trimethylsilylmethyl-3methylimidazolium cations. The new aprotic ionic polymers containing trimethylsilylmethyl substituents may be interesting for application in adhesive, interlayer and membrane manufacturing.free radical polymerization, glass transition temperature, intrinsic viscosity, ionic liquid monomers, polymerizable cation, polymerizable anion, trimethylsilylmethyl substituted ionic liquids