Patent ID: 7479548

Claim:
A ladder copolymer having two backbones as sides or legs of a ladder with links between the backbones serving as rungs of the ladder, comprising the general formula (I) wherein: A 1 to A n =a Group VI element selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, and Te; G 1 to G n , J 1 to J n , L 1 to L n , M 1 to M n , Q 1 to Q n =a linker group selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 18 branched or straight chain alkyl groups, C 6 -C 24 substituted or unsubstituted aromatic and heteroaromatic groups having from 1-3 hetero atoms or halogen substitutions, —O—, —S—, carbonyl, carboxyl, —Si(R) 2 —, and —OSi(R) 2 O—; B 1 to B n =a nucleic acid base selected from the group consisting of uracil, thymine, adenine, guanine, cytosine, and modified pyrimidines and purines; E 1 to E n =a symmetric or asymmetric atom center selected from the group consisting of CR, N, NR+, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphate, phosphonate, phosphinate, phosphoramide, phosphonamide, and phosphinamide; R=a terminal group selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 18 branched or straight chain alkyl groups, C 6 -C 24 substituted or unsubstituted aromatic and heteroaromatic groups having from 1-3 hetero atoms or halogen substitutions; X 1 to X n , Y 1 to Y n , W 1 to W n and Z 1 to Z n are each a functional group that when taken together as pairs X—Y and W—Z form amide, ester, phosphoester bonds, or alkene bonds; and S 1 to S n =a ribose or a modified ribose.