Patent ID: 7645805

Claim:
A gelling agent or thickener having the formula wherein each of X 1 , X 2 and X 3 is independently chosen from the moieties —NH, C(O)—, and —NH—C(O)—; each of Am 1 , Am 2 , and Am 3 is independently a moiety based on an amino acid or a derivative thereof, or a number of amino acids or derivatives thereof; each of Y 1 , Y 2 , and Y 3 is independently chosen from the group of —OR, —N(OH)R, and —NR 2 , if the corresponding X (X 1 for Y 1 , X 2 for Y 2 , and X 3 for Y 3 ) is C(O)— or —NH—C(O)— and n=1, and each of Y 1 , Y 2 , and Y 3 is independently chosen from the group of C(O)R, —C(O)—NR 2 , —C(O)—OR, C(S)R, —C(S)—NR 2 , —C(S)—OR and R, if the corresponding X (X 1 for Y 1 , X 2 for Y 2 , and X 3 for Y 3 ) is —NH— and n=1 or 2, wherein each R is independently H, or a branched, cyclic or straight alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group which is optionally substituted with an aromatic, ester or ether moiety or one or more other heteroatoms and may have from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, with the proviso that the one or more heteroatoms are all selected from O, N, S, P and B; and n=1 or 2.