Fabrication of zwitterionic polymer brushes on transparent substrates via surface-initiated polymerization for antifouling applications

Biofouling at material interfaces undermines optical clarity, increases energy consumption, and accelerates device failure in marine, biomedical, and industrial contexts. Herein, we present the fabrication and antifouling performance of poly(vinylbenzyl–DABCO propane sulfonate) (PVBSB) zwitterionic polymer–functionalized coatings. A silica-sol underlayer was first deposited on glass, followed by the co-deposition of polydopamine (PDA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) to form a robust precursor film enriched with anchoring sites for subsequent polymer grafting. Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP), in a grafting-from approach, was then employed to directly grow PVBSB polymer brushes from the glass surface, yielding the Glass-PVBSB coating. The resulting surface demonstrated exceptional antifouling performance, with antibacterial rates exceeding 99 % against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and anti-adhesion removal efficiencies of 87.5 % and 96.9 % against Navicula and Dunaliella, respectively, while maintaining optical transmittance above 90 % across the visible spectrum.