Patent ID: 8222455

Claim:
A polycationic carboxylate of the following general formula: wherein R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of: (a) hydrocarbyl groups having from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms; and (b) substituted hydrocarbyl groups having from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms; or alternatively wherein R 2 and R 3 are members of a heterocyclic ring, and R 4 and R 5 are members of a different heterocyclic ring or are independently selected from group (a) as defined above or group (b) as defined above; wherein R 1 and R 6 are members independently selected from the group consisting of: group (a) as defined above; group (b) as defined above, and (c) hydrocarbyl groups or substituted hydrocarbyl groups, wherein the hydrocarbyl groups or substituted hydrocarbyl groups have from about 13 to about 40 carbon atoms and comprise carboxamides, carboximides, polycarboxamides, polycarboximides, carboxamidines, carboximidines, carboxylic esters, polycarboxylic esters, carboxylic acids, polycarboxylic acids, carboxylates, polycarboxylates, or combinations thereof; wherein R 7 is a carboxylate anion containing from about 2 to about 24 carbon atoms; and wherein A 1 − and A 2 − are independently selected from the group consisting of: (i) negatively charged inorganic ions; (ii) organic molecules with one or more negatively charged functional groups; and (iii) negatively charged functional groups which are part of R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 or R 7 .