Here we demonstrate the preparation and properties of an electrolyte-responsive polyethersulfone membrane with an amphiphilic copolymer polyethersulfone-block-poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PES-b-PSBMA) as the blending additive. The PES/PES-b-PSBMA blend membrane was fabricated by traditional non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The membrane surface chemistry and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the as-made membranes were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurement, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the hydrophilicity was remarkably enhanced due to the surface-segregation of hydrophilic PSBMA chains during membrane formation. The water permeability and antifouling ability of the PES/PES-b-PSBMA blend membranes were both greatly improved. In addition, the water permeability and separation characteristics of the blend membranes exhibited a strongly electrolyte-responsive nature, which is attributed to the "anti-polyelectrolyte" effect of the blend membranes in salt solution. Moreover, the electrolyte-responsive characteristic of the blend membranes were reversible and durable. This work provided a valuable strategy to fabricate electrolyte-responsive membranes via the introduction of polyelectrolyte-contained amphiphilic copolymers. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.