Patent ID: 8501899

Claim:
A target molecule-POZ conjugate comprising at least one target molecule linked to a heterofunctional polyoxazoline derivative of the general structure: {R 1 -{[N(COX)CH 2 CH 2 ] o —[N(COR 2 )CH 2 —CH 2 )] n —[N(COY)CH 2 —CH 2 )] m } a —K k —} d —R-Q q -Z wherein: R 1 is an initiating group; R 2 is independently selected for each polyoxazoline chain from a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl group; X is a pendent moiety bearing a first functional group; Y is a pendent moiety bearing a second functional group; K is a linking moiety linking each polyoxazoline chain to a branching moiety R, K being independently selected for each polyoxazoline chain; Q is a linking moiety linking the branching moiety R to Z; R is a branching moiety capable of forming linkages with Z, either directly or through linking group Q, and with each polyoxazoline chain, either directly or through the linking group K; Z is a moiety containing a third functional group or an inert group; a independently selected for each polyoxazoline chain from ran which indicates a random copolymer or block which indicates a block copolymer; d is an integer selected from 2-8; k is an integer independently selected for each polyoxazoline chain from one or zero; q is an integer selected from one or zero; o is an integer independently selected for each polyoxazoline chain from 1-50; m is an integer independently selected for each polyoxazoline chain from 0-50; n is an integer selected from 0-1000; wherein at least two of the first, second and third functional groups are chemically orthogonal to one another; and wherein the at least one target molecule is linked to the polyoxazoline derivative through at least one of the first, second or third functional groups.