Antifouling, antibacterial and non-cytotoxic transparent cellulose membrane with grafted zwitterion and quaternary ammonium copolymers

[Display omitted] •Cellulose membrane is successfully modified by grafting copolymer of SBMA and DAC.•The modified cellulose membrane effectively resists nonspecific protein adsorption.•The modified cellulose membrane exhibits excellent antibacterial activity.•The modified cellulose membrane is highly biocompatible to human fibroblast cells. Copolymer brushes with different ratios of sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) and [2-(Acryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (DAC) were grafted from transparent cellulose membrane (CM) via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) method for improving its antifouling and antibacterial performance. Surface concentrated copolymer grafting on the cellulose membranes can be obtained without significantly sacrificing the transparency and mechanical properties. The zwitterionic PSBMA chains of the copolymers can lead to an extremely hydrophilic surface with significantly reduced non-specific protein adsorption and bacterial attachment, therefore, leading to satisfying antifouling and antibacterial property. While the PDAC chains of the copolymers improved antibacterial performance against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria due to the presence of quaternary ammonium groups, the PDAC modified CM (CM-1) possessed best antibacterial performance, reaching to 95.1 % against S. aureus and 90.5 % against E. coli, respectively. More importantly, the biocompatibility of all grafted CM was retained, leading to over 100 % cell viability.