Provided herein are lipid compounds that can be used in combination with other lipid components, such as neutral lipids, cholesterol and polymer conjugated lipids, to form lipid nanoparticles for delivery of therapeutic agents (e.g., nucleic acid molecules) for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes, including vaccination. Also provided herein are lipid nanoparticle compositions comprising said lipid compounds.

Provided herein are lipid compounds that can be used in combination with other lipid components, such as neutral lipids, cholesterol and polymer conjugated lipids, to form lipid nanoparticles for delivery of therapeutic agents (e.g., nucleic acid molecules) for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes, including vaccination. Also provided herein are lipid nanoparticle compositions comprising said lipid compounds.

The present invention is directed at organic ammonium salts comprising

an organic ammonium-group-comprising cation which does not contain an estolide moiety and a carboxylate anion (COO—) group-comprising anion selected from the group consisting of anions containing at least one estolide moiety or carboxylate anions containing at least one internal ester group.

The invention is also directed at a process for the production of such organic ammonium salts, the use of such organic ammonium salts in cosmetic formulations for skin and hair care, the use of such organic ammonium salts for the treatment of fibers, the use of the organic ammonium salts for the treatment of hair, at compositions containing such organic ammonium salts, the use of the products of the process for the production of organic ammonium salts in cosmetic formulations for skin care and hair conditioner and hair shampoo, the use of said products for the treatment of fibers, and compositions containing said products for the treatment of hair.

Amines and amine derivatives that improve the buffering range, and/or reduce the chelation and other negative interactions of the buffer and the system to be buffered. The reaction of amines or polyamines with various molecules to form polyamines with differing pKa's will extend the buffering range, derivatives that result in polyamines that have the same pKa yields a greater buffering capacity. Derivatives that result in zwitterionic buffers improve yield by allowing a greater range of stability.

Amines and amine derivatives that improve the buffering range, and/or reduce the chelation and other negative interactions of the buffer and the system to be buffered. The reaction of amines or polyamines with various molecules to form polyamines with differing pKa's will extend the buffering range, derivatives that result in polyamines that have the same pKa yields a greater buffering capacity. Derivatives that result in zwitterionic buffers improve yield by allowing a greater range of stability.

A fluorine-containing ether compound represented by the following formula (1).

R.sup.1—R.sup.2—CH.sub.2—R.sup.3—CH.sub.2—R.sup.4  (1)

(R.sup.1 is an organic group having an alicyclic structure having 3 to 13 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 is represented by the following formula (2), and a in the formula (2) is an integer of 1 to 3; R.sup.3 is a perfluoropolyether chain; and R.sup.4 is a terminal group having two or three polar groups, in which individual polar groups bond to different carbon atoms and the carbon atoms to which the polar groups bond are bonded to each other through a linking group having a carbon atom to which the polar groups do not bond.)

##STR00001##

A metal compound includes a metal and at least two aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid structures. Each aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid structure includes an aromatic moiety having a hydroxyl substituent and a carboxylic acid substituent, which cooperatively bond the aromatic moiety to the metal via at least one of ionic bond, covalent bond and coordinate bond. Each aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid structure is bonded to a polymer segment.

A metal compound includes a metal and at least two aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid structures. Each aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid structure includes an aromatic moiety having a hydroxyl substituent and a carboxylic acid substituent, which cooperatively bond the aromatic moiety to the metal via at least one of ionic bond, covalent bond and coordinate bond. Each aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid structure is bonded to a polymer segment.

A branched type hetero monodispersed polyethylene glycol represented by formula (1) ##STR00001##
where X.sup.1, Y.sup.1, n, E, L.sup.1, L.sup.2 and L.sup.3 are as defined herein.

The present invention provides a fluorine-containing ether compound represented by the following formula:

R.sup.1—R.sup.2—CH.sub.2—R.sup.3—CH.sub.2—R.sup.4—R.sup.5

(in the formula, R.sup.3 represents a perfluoropolyether chain; R.sup.1 and R.sup.5 each independently represent any of an alkyl group which may have a substituent, an organic group having a double bond or a triple bond, and a hydrogen atom; —R.sup.2—CH.sub.2—R.sup.3 is represented by -[A]-[B]—O—CH.sub.2—R.sup.3; R.sup.3—CH.sub.2—R.sup.4— is represented by R.sup.3—CH.sub.2—O—[C]-[D]-; [A] is represented by Formula (4), [B] is represented by Formula (5), [C] is represented by Formula (6), and [D] is represented by Formula (7)):

##STR00001##