Anticorrosive superhydrophobic high-entropy alloy coating on 3D iron foam for efficient oil/water separation.

Oil-spill remediation requires low-cost, high-efficiency, and operationally flexible oil-water separators, particularly those with superior corrosion resistance to extend their service life. Superhydrophobic 3D metallic foams are increasingly attracting tremendous attention due to their excellent mechanical stability and promising applications for continuous in-situ separation. Hence, superhydrophobic iron foams were fabricated via cyanide-free electrodeposition of a ZnFeCoNiMn high-entropy alloy (HEA) coating followed by non‑fluorine surface modification with tetradecanoic acid. Fluffy microspheres with hierarchical micro/nanostructure on the superhydrophobic HEA coating contributed to the superhydrophobicity of 3D iron foam. These foams exhibited highly efficient separation of oil and water even under violent stirring (700 rpm). Moreover, they achieved excellent anti-corrosion performance, with a decline in corrosion rate from 14.95 to 0.27 mm·a−1 in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, making it perfect for the harsh sea environment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]