ABSTRACT Superhydrophobic coatings, while promising for numerous applications, face challenges related to complex fabrication, environmental concerns from fluorinated compounds, and poor mechanical durability. This study presents a facile and eco‐friendly strategy for constructing a robust, fluorine‐free superhydrophobic coating. Hydrophobic hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS)‐modified ZnO@SiO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized via a sol–gel method and combined with a modified epoxy (ME) resin adhesive. The coating was applied onto various substrates using a simple spray‐coating technique at ambient temperature. The optimal coating, with a ZnO@SiO 2 ‐to‐ME volume ratio of 3:1, exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity, with a water contact angle of 153° and a sliding angle of 8°. It demonstrated remarkable self‐cleaning and antifouling properties, along with excellent UV resistance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed a polarization resistance ( R p ) three orders of magnitude higher than that of bare Mg alloy, indicating superior corrosion resistance. Furthermore, the coating showed outstanding mechanical durability, withstanding sand impact abrasion, sandpaper abrasion, tape‐peeling tests, and achieving the highest adhesion rating. This work provides a scalable and environmentally benign approach for fabricating durable superhydrophobic coatings for practical applications.
Ren et al. (Thu,) studied this question.