HEO(Ce)/SiO₂/F@EP coating with dual anti-corrosion and icephobic functions

s The development of high-performance bifunctional coatings with integrated anti-corrosion and anti-icing properties for extreme marine environments remains challenging. Herein, we report a novel superhydrophobic composite coating based on high-entropy oxides (HEOs), which ensures synergistic protection through multiscale structural engineering. A hierarchical micro/nanostructure with the incorporated vapor-phase nano-SiO₂ phase enhances the surface roughness (Ra = 0.877 μm) and superhydrophobicity (the water contact angle of 153.8° and the sliding angle of 4.5°) while also effectively suppressing sedimentation of HEO(Ce) particles in the epoxy matrix. The Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ redox cycle within HEO(Ce) endows the passivation film with dynamic self-healing capability, yielding a low-frequency impedance modulus (|Z| 0.01 Hz) of 6.52 × 10 10 Ω·cm² after 7-day immersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, which is 6 orders of magnitude higher than that of pristine epoxy. Furthermore, the coating demonstrates exceptional anti-icing performance, exhibiting a delayed ice nucleation time of 1134 s at -20 °C and maintaining the surface temperature above the freezing point under -10 °C under 1 Sun irradiation. The mechanical robustness tests confirm the retained superhydrophobicity after 5-meter sandpaper abrasion and Grade 1 adhesion strength conforming to GB/T 9286–2021 standard. Therefore, this work offers a physical barrier–chemical passivation–interface modulation synergistic strategy that effectively addresses the longstanding challenge of mutual constraints between corrosion resistance and icephobicity in conventional coatings, providing an innovative solution for marine equipment protection in harsh environments.