Patent ID: 8519156

Claim:
A functionalized amino acid compound selected from: wherein: X is selected from: —CH 2 COO—; —CH(CH 3 )COO—; —CH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 COO—; —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 COO—; —(CH 2 ) y COO—; and, —(CH 2 CH 2 O) z CH 2 COO—, where y is selected from 2, 3, 4, and 6-24 and z is selected from 2-24; Y is selected from: —COCH 2 O—; —COCH(CH 3 )O—; —COCH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 O—; —COCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O—; —CO(CH 2 ) m O—; and, —COCH 2 —O—(CH 2 CH 2 O) n —, where m is selected from 2-4 and 6-24 and n is selected from 2-24; R′ is selected from hydrogen, benzyl, and a straight-chained C 1-6 alkyl; a and b are independently selected from 1-4, provided that a+b total from 2-6; provided that: (a) when the remaining portion of the amino acid is CH 2 and (X) a —R′ is CH 2 CO 2 H, then (Y) b —R′ is other than C(O)CH 2 OH; or, (b) when the remaining portion of the amino acid is CH 2 and (Y) b —R′ is C(O)CH 2 OH, then (X) a —R′ is other than CH 2 CO 2 H.