Patent ID: 7273909

Claim:
A compound of formula (I): R 1 —(CH 2 CH 2 O) n —CH 2 CH 2 —X—Y—NH—(CH 2 ) p —CHO (I) wherein R 1 is a capping group, X is O or NH, Y is selected from the group consisting of Z is a side chain of an amino acid, m is from 1 to 17, n is from 10 to 10,000, and p is from 1 to 3, wherein said capping group is halogen, epoxide, maleimide, orthopyridyl disulfide, tosylate, isocyanate, hydrazine hydrate, cyanuric halide, N-succinimidyloxy, sulfo-N-succinimidyloxy, 1-benzotriazolyloxy, 1-imidazolyloxy, p-nitrophenyloxy, hydrogen, hydroxy, benzyloxy, lower alkyl, lower cycloalkyl, lower alkenyl, aryl or heteroaryl.