Synergizing physical repulsion and chemical eradication: A robust MOF-5/HGM/PPS superhydrophobic coating for marine anticorrosion and antifouling

Microbial adhesion and biofilm formation pose persistent threats to marine industry, healthcare, and food safety, often resulting in severe economic losses and structural failure. Although superhydrophobic surfaces offer a physical barrier by trapping air layer, their practical application remains limited by intrinsic mechanical fragility; moreover, once the air layer becomes unstable, the surface lacks an active defense mechanism. Here, we report a multistrategy biomimetic design that enables the engineered fabrication of a highly robust MOF-5/HGM/PPS composite coating, integrating passive physical repulsion with active chemical killing in a synergistic manner. By tuning the hierarchical ratio of micron-sized hollow glass microspheres (HGM) and nanoscale metal–organic framework particles (MOF-5) within a chemically inert polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) matrix, multilevel hierarchical roughness was successfully constructed. The optimized surface exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity, with a static water contact angle of 151.2° and a sliding angle of only 4 ± 1°. Importantly, thermal crosslinking of the PPS network ensured outstanding mechanical and chemical durability. Even after 50 rigorous sandpaper abrasion cycles, prolonged exposure to extreme pH conditions, or 180 h of corrosive salt spray, the coating retained its near-superhydrophobic integrity. Electrochemical measurements showed that the composite reduced the corrosion current density of the metal substrate to 1.406 × 10 −8 A·cm −2 , corresponding to a corrosion inhibition efficiency of 99.994%. In addition, the sustained release of Zn 2+ ions from the MOF-5 framework provided potent biochemical activity, achieving bactericidal efficiencies of over 99% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , while also effectively suppressing colonization by Chlorella vulgaris . This dual-defense strategy, combining a stable air-cushion barrier with localized chemical killing, establishes a new paradigm for the development of intelligent, long-lasting protective materials for harsh marine and clinical environments.