Magnesium (Mg) alloys attract a lot of attention owing to their superior properties, while the poor corrosion resistance significantly restricts their extensive applications in practice. The development of a superhydrophobic coating can effectively decrease the contact area between corrosive solutions and the Mg substrate, consequently providing corrosion protection. Herein, a facile approach was proposed, with low cost and no damage to the environment. A nanocomposite coating composed of polyvinylidene fluoride and chemically modified SiO 2 nanoparticles was successfully constructed on the Mg alloy by a spraying method. The nanocomposite coating presented irregular structures with accumulated SiO 2 nanoparticles, entrapped a lot of air pockets. The water contact angle was up to 151.8°. The corrosion current density was reduced by one order of magnitude compared to that of the bare substrate. Therefore, the nanocomposite coating can provide good corrosion protection for the Mg substrate, accelerating the extensive applications of Mg alloys.

Magnesium (Mg) alloy is the lightest metal material found because of its excellent physical and mechanical properties, specific strength, biocompatibility and biomechanical compatibility, therefore, it has very promising development prospects in aerospace, automobile manufacturing, and biodegradable materials. However, due to the relatively chemical properties of magnesium alloys, poor corrosion resistance, fast degradation rate, and poor wear resistance, they have been greatly restricted in practical applications. Therefore, anti-corrosion measures of magnesium alloys are particularly important. The manufacture of hydrophobic surfaces is a very effective method of anti-corrosion. The surface of super-hydrophobic polymer composites (i.e., thin coatings) is constructed on the surface of magnesium alloy materials to enhance their corrosion resistance and wear resistance, and the effect of its antiseptic measures is very impressive.