The invention comprises compounds, methods of making, and methods of using. A group of polymer-cyclodextrin-lipid conjugates having a center backbone and three or four appended functional groups are disclosed, wherein one of the hydrophilic components is cyclodextrin. The compounds may have a backbone with three or four appended functional groups: one or two lipophilic compounds including sterols or “fat soluble” vitamins or fatty acids, one or two hydrophilic polymer and one cyclodextrin. Specific functional groups may be selected for specific applications in formulating pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and the like. Typical coupling reaction of the conjugates may involve one or more or combinations or in series of alkylation including N-alkylation or O-alkylation, etherification, esterification and amidation chemical processes. A variety of linkers between the center backbone and functional groups may also be selected to modify the carriers or center backbones for the coupling reactions and optimize performance of the conjugates.
