Electron beam irradiation as a straightforward way to produce tailorable non-biofouling poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) hydrogel layers on different substrates

•First report of employing the electron beam irradiation for preparation of poly(2-oxazoline)-based hydrogel coatings.•Applied method is independent on surface material (Si wafer, PS plate).•Grafting and crosslinking are driven by amount of double bonds essential for the formation of covalent bonds.•Presence of the hydrogel layer decreases cell adhesion to a negligible value.•The stiffness increases with the degree of crosslinking which denotes the possibility of adjusting the required stiffness by proper selection of the experimental parameters.