Nanodiamonds (NDs) are among the most promising new carbon-based materials for various applications. Inspired by the remarkable adhesive ability of dopamine, a feasible approach was developed for the preparation of superhydrophobic NDs particles. The strategy is based on coating hydroxylated NDs with polydopamine (PDA) and subsequent reaction with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol (PFDT). The resulting f-PDA modified NDs (NDs-fPDA) were firmly anchored onto the skeleton of commercial polyurethane (PU) sponge due to the excellent adhesive ability of PDA. Meanwhile, the as-prepared sponge showed superhydrophobic property, oil/water separation behavior and high organic adsorption capacity. Due to its low cost, feasible fabrication technique, stability and excellent performance, this superhydrophobic PU-NDs-/PDA sponge represents a promising alternative for the selective removal of oil from water. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.