Patent ID: 7235695

Claim:
A method of making a compound of the formula: E-NH-B-A-B-NH-B-A-B-NH-B-A-B-NH(-B-A-B-NH) x -E wherein A is independently selected from the group consisting of a single bond, C 2 –C 6 alkyl, C 2 –C 6 hydroxyalkyl, C 2 –C 6 alkenyl, C 2 –C 6 alkynyl, C 3 –C 6 cycloalkyl, C 3 –C 6 cycloaryl, and C 3 –C 6 cycloalkenyl; B is independently selected from the group consisting of a single bond, C 1 –C 6 alkyl, C 1 –C 6 hydroxyalkyl, and C 2 –C 6 alkenyl; E is independently selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 –C 6 alkyl, C 1 –C 6 hydroxyalkyl, C 2 –C 6 alkenyl, and C 2 –C 6 alkynyl; and x is an integer from 0 to 16; with the proviso that at least one A moiety is cyclopropyl, and that each -B-A-B- subunit contains at least two carbon atoms; and all salts and stereoisomers thereof; comprising adding a carbene-bearing or carbene equivalent-bearing compound across a double bond of an alkene compound to form a cyclopropyl ring, wherein the carbene-bearing or carbene equivalent-bearing compound is an ylide, and wherein the carbene-bearing or carbene equivalent-bearing compound has at least one carboxylic ester and the alkene compound has at least one carboxylic ester; converting the carboxylic esters to free carboxylic acids; activating the free carboxylic acids with a leaving group; and reacting the activated carboxylic acids with amine-bearing compounds to form the compounds of the formula above.