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Herein, the preparation of the cross‐linked copolymer hydrogels composed of various weight ratios of 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) monomers employing free‐radical polymerization was reported. The integration of the MPC monomer into HEMA‐based hydrogels showed good transmittance (>90%) and enhanced the water content retention (79–202%) relative to those of pure HEMA‐based hydrogel. Notably, the MPC‐containing hydrogels (MPC‐H) exhibited the improved anti‐biofouling properties due to the formation of a compact hydration layer produced by the biomimetic MPC units at the hydrogel surface. MPC‐H exhibited a decrease in the bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme adsorption of approximately 40–70% and 44–65%, respectively, relative to those of control hydrogel without MPC monomer. The results presented herein demonstrate the potential of expending biocompatible monomers such as HEMA and MPC to efficiently generate a biomaterial that possesses both bio‐membrane mimicking character and protein and bacterial resistant properties for various industrial and biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of hydrogels with intrinsic antifouling properties was prepared via surface-functionalization of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [p(HEMA)]-based hydrogels with the biomembrane-mimicking zwitterionic polymer, poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) [p(MPC)]. The p(MPC)-modified hydrogels have enhanced surface wettability, high water content retention (61.0%–68.3%), and good transmittance (>90%). Notably, the presence of zwitterionic MPC moieties at the hydrogel surfaces lowered the adsorption of proteins such as lysozyme and bovine serum albumin (BSA) by 73%–74% and 59%–66%, respectively, and reduced bacterial adsorption by approximately 10%–73% relative to the unmodified control. The anti-biofouling properties of the p(MPC)-functionalized hydrogels are largely attributed to the dense hydration layer formed at the hydrogel surfaces by the zwitterionic moieties. Overall, the results demonstrate that biocompatible and antifouling hydrogels based on p(HEMA)-p(MPC) structures have promising potential for application in biomedical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]