Antimicrobial Materials for Biomedical Applications Cover Preface Contents Chapter 1 Antimicrobial Materials An Overview 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Antimicrobial Materials 1.2.1 Antimicrobial Polymers 1.2.2 Antimicrobial Nanomaterials 1.2.3 Antimicrobial Plastics 1.2.4 Antimicrobial Ceramics 1.3 Ideal Features of Antimicrobial Materials 1.4 Factors Affecting Antimicrobial Activity 1.4.1 Effect of Molecular Weight 1.4.2 Effect of Counter Ions 1.4.3 Charge Density 1.4.4 Effect of Spacer Length and Alkyl Chain Length 1.4.5 pH Effect 1.4.6 Hydrophilicity 1.5 Methods to Evaluate Antimicrobial Properties 1.6 Clinical Trials 1.7 Conclusion and Future Developments Abbreviations References Chapter 2 Introduction to Microbes and Infection in the Modern World 2.1 Introduction 2.1.1 The Many Facets of Microbial Life 2.1.2 Bacteria 2.1.3 Archaea 2.1.4 Protists 2.1.5 Viruses and Prions 2.1.6 Fungi 2.2 Not All Microbes Are Bad 2.2.1 Microbes Are Utilized in Many Commercial Applications 2.2.2 Microbial Uses in Medicine 2.3 Evolution of Microbes with Humans 2.4 Biocontrol and the Importance of Commensal Microbes 2.5 Increases in Emerging Disease 2.6 Identified Medical Threats and Treatments in the Environment 2.6.1 Influences of Environment and Ecological Destruction on Compromised Healthcare 2.6.2 Environmental Influences on Improved Health and Healthcare 2.7 Increasing Burdens on Healthcare: PopulationExpansion Urbanization and Increasing Age of the General Human Populace 2.8 Approaching Challenges and Perceived Threats 2.8.1 Increased Disease Emergence Due to Modern Technology and Human Behavior 2.8.2 Resistance in Patient Care Facilities 2.9 Conclusion Abbreviations References Chapter 3 Controlled Release of Antimicrobial Small Molecules 3.1 Introduction. This book provides the field with a much needed fundamental overview of the science addressing the chemistry of a broad range of biomaterial types and their applications in the biomedical industry.