Patent ID: 6933269

Claim:
A polyaspartate derivative wherein said polyaspartate derivative has the formula: wherein: x+y+z have values such that the sum ranges from 4 to 730 and y is at least 1; M is an alkali metal, such as Na or K, or an ammonium cation; R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of: H, C 1 -C 22 linear or branched alkyl, C 2 -C 22 unsaturated alkyl, C 6 -C 12 aryl, C 7 -C 24 aralkyl or alkaryl, saccharide, sulfoalkyl, disulfoalkyl, sulfoaryl, sulfinoalkyl, alkyl substituted with both sulfonate and sulfinate groups, —((CH 2 ) 1-18 O) 0-1 —(CH 2 CH(R 3 )O) 1-50 —R 4 ; —((CH 2 ) 1-18 O) 0-1 —(CH(R 3 )CH 2 O) 1-50 —R 4 ; —(CH 2 ) 1-18 —(OCH 2 CH(R 3 )) 0-40 —NR 5 R 6 and —(CH 2 ) 1-18 —(OCH 2 CH(R 3 )) 0-40 —NR 5 R 6 R 7 where R 3 is H or C 1 -C 4 alkyl, R 4 is selected from the same group as defined for R 1 and R 2 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 are selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 6 -C 12 aryl, C 7 -C 24 alkaryl or aralkyl, saccharide, sulfoalkyl, disulfoalkyl, sulfoaryl, sulfinoalkyl and alkyl substituted with both sulfonate and sulfinate groups; optionally, R 1 and R 2 can form a cyclic structure together selected from —(CH 2 ) 5 — or —(CH 2 ) 2 —O—(CH 2 ) 2 — group; and R 8 is selected from the same group defined for R 1 & R 2 ; wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 4 are selected such that at least one hydrophobic and at least one hydrophilic moiety are present in the polyaspartate derivative.