PEG butyric acid NHS derivatives have a C4 aliphatic chain directly attached to PEG and the NHS active ester is a useful reagent to pegylate proteines, peptides or any other surfaces with a free primary amino group to form stable amide bonds. PEG crosslinkers with Fmoc (fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl)-protected amino groups on one chain end. The Fmoc protecting group is stable in a wide range of conditions (including highly acidic environments) but may be easily removed by primary and secondary amine bases (such as piperidine) in polar solvents to release the primary amine.