Chen, YPang, HShangguan, SYang, WZhao, JSingamneni, STian, Z2026-05-012026-05-012026-03-01Materials Today Communications, ISSN: 2352-4928 (Print); 2352-4928 (Online), Elsevier BV, 52, 115211-115211. doi: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2026.1152112352-49282352-4928http://hdl.handle.net/10292/21008A Ni-SiC composite coating was effectively synthesized on a stainless-steel substrate through a jet electrodeposition technique integrated with a magnetic field, and then utilized for oil/water separation. Guided by an external magnetic field, the magnetically responsive nickel components loaded with hydrophilic SiC were incorporated into the coating, creating a coral-like micro-nano hierarchical rough structure. The functionalized mesh demonstrated remarkable superhydrophilic properties and submerged low-adhesion superoleophobicity. Appropriate processing parameters were identified by analyzing how electrodeposition duration and voltage influence the surface topography as well as the wettability associated with the Ni-SiC-coated mesh. The results indicated that the Ni-SiC-coated mesh prepared at 30 V for 10 min exhibited a WCA of 0° and a UOCA of 152.2°. Ni-SiC-coated meshes fabricated at a lower voltage required a deposition time of 30 min to achieve superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity. The mesh achieved high efficiency along with superior purification levels for various oil/water emulsions and sustained a stable separation performance (exceeding 95%) after 50 cycles. The treated substrate maintained its functionality in aggressive media. In natural conditions, the Ni-SiC-coated mesh still retained its outstanding superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity after three months of storage. In addition, the Ni-SiC-coated mesh maintained a UOCA of more than 150° after water erosion for 10 h.© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. You are not required to obtain permission to reuse this article.40 Engineering34 Chemical Sciences3406 Physical Chemistry3403 Macromolecular and materials chemistry4016 Materials engineering4018 NanotechnologyUnderwater superoleophobicNi-SiCJet electrodepositionMagnetic-fieldOil/water separationJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1016/j.mtcomm.2026.115211