Cotton fabrics that can control bacterial adhesion and liquid contamination are receiving high demand in daily life and healthcare‐related supplies. However, due to the fundamental conflicts between the electrostatic contact‐active antibacterial motif and the low surface energy coating for contaminant release, it remains a challenging task to develop fabrics with balanced performance. Herein, we report a feasible one‐pot method for fabricating a polycationic polysilazane coating on cotton fabrics, which enables waterproofing, antifouling, and antibacterial properties. The coating forms a strong adhesion on cotton substrates through hydrolysis during the solution process. The low surface energy polysilazane component is oriented towards the air. The finished coating demonstrated excellent waterproofing properties (water contact angles > 134º), endowing repellency to various liquids. The hydrophilic zwitterionic and polycationic motifs migrate to the surface under water and work synergistically, resulting in excellent antibacterial performance. The development of polycationic polysilazane coating on cotton fabric enables a combination of desired features, including excellent waterproofness, antifouling, and antibacterial properties, while preserving the intrinsic serviceability required for applications in daily life and medical textiles.
Zheng et al. (Mon,) studied this question.