Low-cost one-step fabrication of superhydrophobic surface on Al alloy

► Superhydrophobic al alloy surface is fabricated by a fast immersion method only using some cheap materials, such as hydrochloric acid and myristic acid. ► The binary structures at micro- and nano scales is due to the cooperation of etching of Cl− and hydrophobic tails of the formed Al(CH3(CH2)12COO)3. ► The process could be extended to other long-chain fatty acids.