Dual-Functional Antifouling and Antibacterial Coating for Medical PVC Based on Hyaluronic Acid and a Quaternary Ammonium Salt.

Bacteria adhesion, which forms biofilms with multicellular structures on the surfaces of various medical devices, can result in severe infections and even patient mortality. Here, we develop an effective antifouling and antibacterial coating for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) substrates. Specifically, the coating is fabricated with anionic polysaccharide hyaluronic acid (HA) and cationic quaternized N,N-dimethylethylenediamine (QDED). The strong hydration capacity of HA significantly reduces the water contact angle of the modified PVC surfaces from 101.4° to 25.4°, enhancing their antifouling performance, while QDED provides direct bactericidal effects. This synergistic combination exhibits robust resistance to both bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, as demonstrated by extracorporeal circulation and static biofilm resistance assays, better aligning with long-term clinical requirements. This study presents a simple and effective method for modifying PVC surfaces to achieve antifouling and antibacterial properties without compromising biocompatibility, thereby offering potential applications in biomedical devices.