Versatile biodegradable molecules as nucleic acid carriers

A compound of formula I:

• in which
• Core is disulfide or C1-C6 alkylene unsubstituted or substituted with one or more of carboxyl, carboxylate, carbamate, and carbamide;
• each of L1 and L2, independently, is C1-C3 alkylene;
• each of BP1 and BP2, independently, is a bond, disulfide, O, S, NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, N, or
• X1 being a bond, NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, O, S, or SS, X2 being NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, N, O, S, SS, SS—(CH2)1-20O,
• and each of X3 and X4, independently, being NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, O, S, SS, or SS—(CH2)1-20O;
• each of BP1a and BP2a is absent, a bond, disulfide, O, S, NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, N, or
• X1 being a bond, NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, O, S, or SS, X2 being NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, N, O, S, SS, SS—(CH2)1-20O,
• and each of X3 and X4, independently, being NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, O, S, SS, or SS—(CH2)1-20O;
• each of BP1b and BP2b is a bond, disulfide, O, S, NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, N, or
• X1 being a bond, NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, O, S, or SS, X2 being NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, N, O, SS, SS—(CH2)1-20O,
• and each of X3 and X4, independently, being NH, C1-C6 alkyl-N, O, S, SS, or SS—(CH2)1-20O;
• each of T1a and T2a, independently, is absent,
• wherein B is a hydrophobic unit;
• X is NH, O, or S;
• Y is H, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, CH2CH2OH, CH2CH2CH2OH, CH2CH2NMe2, CH2CH2CH2NMe2, CH2CH2O(CO)NHMe, or CH2CH2CH2O(CO)NHMe;
• and each of m and n, independently, is 0 to 20,
• each of T1 and T2, independently, is
• and
• each of A, A2, A3, and A4, independently, is absent, an amine,