The problem of development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a most serious one. Bacteria rapidly develop alternative modes for survival in spite of antibiotics chemically interrupting some critical chemical process. We have accomplished the goal of developing macro-surfaces that kill bacteria on contact by detergent action on the cell wall. The curent effort relates to the application of this approach to the generation of pharmaceuticals that embody the same approach to antimicrobial action. Dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers have been developed to serve as scaffolding on which cationic detergents are attached. These serve as micro-surfaces that are soluble in aqueous media and can be used in solution. The attachment functionalities of the scaffolding are also subject to hydrolytic action such that the agent does not exist indefinitely in the host organism being treated.