Nucleic acid based ladder copolymers

A ladder copolymer having two backbones as sides or legs of a ladder with links between the backbones serving as rungs of the ladder, comprising the general formula (I)

• wherein:
• A1 to An=a Group VI element selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, and Te;
• G1 to Gn, J1 to Jn, L1 to Ln, M1 to Mn, Q1 to Qn=a linker group selected from the group consisting of C1-C18 branched or straight chain alkyl groups, C6-C24 substituted or unsubstituted aromatic and heteroaromatic groups having from 1-3 hetero atoms or halogen substitutions, —O—, —S—, carbonyl, carboxyl, —Si(R)2—, and —OSi(R)2O—;
• B1 to Bn=a nucleic acid base selected from the group consisting of uracil, thymine, adenine, guanine, cytosine, and modified pyrimidines and purines;
• E1 to En=a symmetric or asymmetric atom center selected from the group consisting of CR, N, NR+, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphate, phosphonate, phosphinate, phosphoramide, phosphonamide, and phosphinamide;
• R=a terminal group selected from the group consisting of H, C1-C18 branched or straight chain alkyl groups, C6-C24 substituted or unsubstituted aromatic and heteroaromatic groups having from 1-3 hetero atoms or halogen substitutions;
• X1 to Xn, Y1 to Yn, W1 to Wn and Z1 to Zn are each a functional group that when taken together as pairs X—Y and W—Z form amide, ester, phosphoester bonds, or alkene bonds;
• and
• S1 to Sn=a ribose or a modified ribose.