invention are useful components in a lipid nanoparticle for the delivery of oligonucleotides specifically sirna and mirna in a first embodiment of this invention the cationic lipids are illustrated by formula a r 1 and r 2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of h c 1 c 6 alkyl heterocyclyl and polyamine wherein said alkyl heterocyclyl and polyamine are optionally substituted with one to three r u2032 or r 1 and r 2 can be taken together with the nitrogen to which they are attached to form a monocyclic heterocycle with 4 7 members optionally containing in addition to the nitrogen one or two additional heteroatoms selected from n o and s said monocyclic heterocycle is optionally substituted with one to three r u2032 r 3 is selected from the group consisting of c 4 c 20 alkyl and c 4 c 20 alkenyl said alkyl or alkenyl is optionally substituted with one to three r u2032 r 4 is selected from the group consisting of c 1 c 16 alkyl and c 2 c 16 alkenyl said alkyl or alkenyl is optionally substituted with one to three r u2032 r 5 is selected from the group consisting of c 4 c 8 alkyl and c 4 c 8.