Patent ID: 7960439

Claim:
An oligomer comprising CHO subunits of the following formula: wherein: R 1 , R 3 , and R 5 are independently hydrogen, hydroxy (OH), alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, amine, azide, boronate, mercapto, sulfide, sulfone, sulfoxide, sulfoninium, phosphine, phosphate, phosphate, a heterocycle, a solid support, a linker or a label, wherein each alkoxy and/or alkoxyalkyl can independently be substituted with one or more hydroxy, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, amine, ammonium, sulfate, phosphate, carboxy, mercapto, sulfide, sulfone, sulfoxide, sulfoninium, phosphine, heteroaromatic cycle, or epoxy groups; R 2 , R 6 and R 8 are independently lower alkyl; R 4 is hydrogen or lower alkyl; R 7 is carboxylate, alkylenecarboxylate, alkylenecarboxyl, lower alkyl alkylenecarboxylate ester, alkyleneamide, alkyleneamine, alkylenethiol, a solid support, a linker or a label; wherein the CHO subunits are linked head-to-tail by covalent bonds formed between R 1 and R 7 groups, wherein at least a segment of the oligomer has a hydrophilic face and a hydrophobic face and wherein at least one segment of the oligomer can fold into a helix to enclose the hydrophilic face; wherein the covalent bonds formed between R 1 and R 7 groups are amide, carbamate, urea, ether, sulfide, disulfide, amine, cyclic heteroaromatic ring, or combinations thereof, and wherein the oligomer has at least 4 subunits.