A compound having a linear multimer sugar alcohol comprising three or more monomeric sugar alcohol unit B 1; and each monomeric sugar alcohol unit is bound to one or more other monomeric units through a linking group W formed by a reaction between the X, Y or Z portion of one monomeric unit with the X, Y or Z of another monomeric unit; wherein each B 1 has the chemical structural Formula XV: wherein for each B 1, independently: each of n and p is independently selected from 0 and an integer selected from 1 to about 12; and n + p is between 1 and 12; r is 0 or 1; each of X and Y is independently selected from -OH, -J, -R 5 J, -C(=O)-J, -C(=O)-CH 2 -J, -NH-C(=O)-CH 2 -J, -OR 5, -OR 6, -O R 7, -O-Mesyl, -O-Tosyl, -NH-C(=O)-CH 2 -O-Mesyl, -NH-C(=O)-CH 2 -O-Tosyl,-SH, -S-S-tButyl, -SR7, -SR 5, -S-S-R 8, -S(=O) 2 -J, -NH 2, -NHR 5, -N(R 5)R 5, -NHR 7, -NH-Fmoc, -NH-Boc, -C(=O)H, -C(=O)-R 5, -C(=O)OH, -N=C=S, -N=C=O, -C ≡C-R 5,-N=N + =N -, -O-NH 2, -O-NH-Fmoc, -O-NH-Boc, -O-N-(Boc) 2, -O-N(-phtha limidyl), -NH-NH 2, -C(=O)-NH-NH 2, -NH-C(=O)-NH-NH 2, -NH-C(=S)-NH-NH 2, -toluenesulfonylhydrazide, -R 5 -NH-C(=NH 2 +)-NH 2, a benzophenone, an aryl diazonium, a diazoalkane, a diazoacetyl, an anthraquinone, a diazirine, an optionally substituted trifluoromethylphenyldiazirine, a diene, a dienophil, a 1,3-dipole, a dipolarophile, an alkene, a ketene, an olefin, an alkene with allylic hydrogen, a dicarbonyl group, an epoxide, an oxirane, an organosilane, a phosphonium group, an ester, an anhydride, a carbonate group, a glyoxal, -C(=NH 2)-O-R 5, a hydroxymethyl phosphine derivative, an ethyl vinyl, a maleimide, a vinylsulfone, an allyl sulfone, a thioester, a cisplatin derivative, an aziridine, an acryloyl group;; each R 5 is is independently selected from hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, alicyclyl, heteroalicyclyl, benzyl or aryl, wherein any ring in R 5 is optionally substituted; each R 6 is independently selected from benzoyl, acetyl, benzyl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl silyl, cyclic ortho ester, actinide, acetate, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, and tetrahydrothiofuranyl; each R 7 is independently selected from trityl, MMT, and DMT; each R 8 is independently selected from 2-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, 5-nitro-2-pyridyl, 5-nitro-4-pyridyl, 2-nitrophenyl, 4-nitrophenyl, 3-carboxy-4-nitrophenyl, and 2,4-dinitrophenyl; each J is independently selected from Cl, Br and I; each of L 1, L 2 is -CH 2 -, each L 3 is a bond, and each Z is -OR 1 wherein R 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, benzoyl, acetyl, benzyl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl silyl, cyclic ortho ester, actinide, acetate, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, and tetrahydrothiofuranyl, and wherein n + p + r is greater than 1. wherein for each B 1, independently: each of n and p is independently selected from 0 and an integer selected from 1 to about 12; and n + p is between 1 and 12; r is 0 or 1; each of X and Y is independently selected from -OH, -J, -R 5 J, -C(=O)-J, -C(=O)-CH 2 -J, -NH-C(=O)-CH 2 -J, -OR 5, -OR 6, -O R 7, -O-Mesyl, -O-Tosyl, -NH-C(=O)-CH 2 -O-Mesyl, -NH-C(=O)-CH 2 -O-Tosyl,-SH, -S-S-tButyl, -SR7, -SR 5, -S-S-R 8, -S(=O) 2 -J, -NH 2, -NHR 5, -N(R 5)R 5, -NHR 7, -NH-Fmoc, -NH-Boc, -C(=O)H, -C(=O)-R 5, -C(=O)OH, -N=C=S, -N=C=O, -C ≡C-R 5,-N=N + =N -, -O-NH 2, -O-NH-Fmoc, -O-NH-Boc, -O-N-(Boc) 2, -O-N(-phtha limidyl), -NH-NH 2, -C(=O)-NH-NH 2, -NH-C(=O)-NH-NH 2, -NH-C(=S)-NH-NH 2, -toluenesulfonylhydrazide, -R 5 -NH-C(=NH 2 +)-NH 2, a benzophenone, an aryl diazonium, a diazoalkane, a diazoacetyl, an anthraquinone, a diazirine, an optionally substituted trifluoromethylphenyldiazirine, a diene, a dienophil, a 1,3-dipole, a dipolarophile, an alkene, a ketene, an olefin, an alkene with allylic hydrogen, a dicarbonyl group, an epoxide, an oxirane, an organosilane, a phosphonium group, an ester, an anhydride, a carbonate group, a glyoxal, -C(=NH 2)-O-R 5, a hydroxymethyl phosphine derivative, an ethyl vinyl, a maleimide, a vinylsulfone, an allyl sulfone, a thioester, a cisplatin derivative, an aziridine, an acryloyl group;; each R 5 is is independently selected from hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, alicyclyl, heteroalicyclyl, benzyl or aryl, wherein any ring in R 5 is optionally substituted; each R 6 is independently selected from benzoyl, acetyl, benzyl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl silyl, cyclic ortho ester, actinide, acetate, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, and tetrahydrothiofuranyl; each R 7 is independently selected from trityl, MMT, and DMT; each R 8 is independently selected from 2-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, 5-nitro-2-pyridyl, 5-nitro-4-pyridyl, 2-nitrophenyl, 4-nitrophenyl, 3-carboxy-4-nitrophenyl, and 2,4-dinitrophenyl; each J is independently selected from Cl, Br and I; each of L 1, L 2 is -CH 2 -, each L 3 is a bond, and each Z is -OR 1 wherein R 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, benzoyl, acetyl, benzyl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl silyl, cyclic ortho ester, actinide, acetate, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, and tetrahydrothiofuranyl, and wherein n + p + r is greater than 1.