Polydopamine-based coatings are fabricated via an electric field-accelerating and -directing codeposition process of polydopamine with charged polymers such as polycations, polyanions, and polyzwitterions. The coatings are uniform and smooth on various substrates, especially on those adhesion-resistant materials including poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) membranes. Moreover, this electric field-directed deposition method can be applied to facilely prepare Janus membranes with asymmetric chemistry and wettability.