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.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/40 Engineering34 Chemical Sciences3406 Physical Chemistry3403 Macromolecular and materials chemistry4016 Materials engineering4018 NanotechnologyUnderwater superoleophobicNi-SiCJet electrodepositionMagnetic-fieldOil/water separationJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1016/j.mtcomm.2026.115211