Patent ID: 7323594

Claim:
A cationic compound having the formula: wherein: L is {(CH 2 ) i -Y—(CH 2 ) j } k , wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of CH 2 , an ether, a polyether, an amide, a polyamide, an ester, a sulfide, a urea, a thiourea, a guanidyl, a carbamoyl, a carbonate, a phosphate, a sulfate, a sulfoxide, an imine, a carbonyl, and or a secondary amino group, and wherein a carbon of (CH 2 ) i or a carbon of (CH 2 ) j is optionally substituted with —OH; R 1 , R 3 , R 4 and R 6 are, independently, H or straight -chain, branched or cyclic alkyl or alkenyl groups having from 8 to 40 carbon atoms; R 2 is an alkyl substituted by one or more amines and optionally substituted by one or more alcohols; R 5 is an alkyl substituted by one or more amines and one or more alcohols; X a is a physiologically acceptable anion; and a is the number of positive charges divided by the valence of the anion; i and j are, independently, an integer from 0 to 100, and is an integer from 1 to 25.