Patent ID: 8343474

Claim:
A compound of formula 1: [(O 3/2 )Si CH 2 CH 2 SX] a [Si(O 4/2 )] b [Si(O 3/2 V)] c wherein X is selected from CH 2 A; [CH 2 CH 2 NR 1 ] p R 2 ; CHCOX 1 CH 2 COX 2 ; and (CH 2 ) e CO Y[CO(CH 2 ) e SCH 2 CH 2 Si(O 3/2 )]l m [CO(CH 2 ) e SH] n and wherein A is the residue of an amino acid or a derivative or a salt of an amino acid of formula CHNR 1 R 2 COX 3 ; R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from hydrogen, a C 1-22 alkyl group, a C 1-22 acyl group and a C 1-22 alkaryl group; X 3 is selected from OR, NR 1 R 2 , an amino acid and a protein; R is selected from hydrogen, a metal ion and a C 1-22 alkyl group; e is 1 or 2; p is an integer from 1 to 100; X 1 and X 2 are independently selected from OR and NR 1 R 2 ; Y is a polyol moiety having z hydroxyl groups wherein z or fewer hydroxyl groups are deprotonated; m and n are, independently, less than z such that m+n+1 is less than or equal to z and m+n+1 hydroxyl groups of the polyol are deprotonated; V is a group which is optionally substituted and selected from a C 1-22 -alkyl group, a C 2-22 - alkenyl group, a C 2-22 -alkynyl group, an aryl group, a C 1-22 alkylaryl sulphide group, a sulfoxide, a sulfone, an amine, a polyalkyl amine, a phosphine and other phosphorous containing group; the free valences of the silicate oxygen atoms are saturated by one or more of: a silicon atom of other groups of Formula 1, hydrogen, a linear or branched C 1-22 -alkyl group, an end group R 3 3 M 1 O 1/2 , a cross-linking bridge member or by a chain R 3 q M 1 (OR 4 ) g O k/2 or Al(OR 4 ) 3-h O h/2 or R 3 A 1 (OR 4 ) 2-r O r/2 ; wherein M 1 is Si or Ti; R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from a linear or branched C 1-22 alkyl group, an aryl group and a C 1-22 alkylaryl group; k is an integer from 1 to 3, q is an integer from 1 to 2 and m is an integer from 0 to 2 such that g+k+q=4; h is an integer from 1 to 3; and r is an integer from 1 to 2; or an oxo metal bridging systems where the metal is zirconium, boron, magnesium, iron, nickel or a lanthanide; a, b and c are integers such that the ratio of a:b is from 0.00001 to 100000 and a and b are always greater than 0 and when c is greater than 0, the ratio of c to a+b is from 0.00001 to 100000.