Mussel-inspired citric acid crosslinked antifouling and bactericidal coatings constructed using sulfobetaine zwitterionic/quaternary ammonium cationic copolymers

as models. Our results indicate that the molar ratio of SB and QAC critically influences the antifouling and bactericidal properties, and a relatively high SB content (60 mol%) combined with a low QAC content (20 mol%) achieves an optimal balance between antifouling and bactericidal properties. This combination of zwitterionic and quaternary ammonium cationic copolymer modifications not only effectively kills bacteria upon contact but also prevents the adhesion of dead bacteria, demonstrating promising potential for applications in biomedical implants and devices.