In this paper, a novel method combining etching and hydrothermal treatment was used to design the superhydrophobic surface on the copper substrates. The contact angle of the superhydrophobic surface was 157.7 +/- 1 degrees. The superhydrophobic surface showed the corrosion inhibition efficiency of 99.81% in 3.5 wt% NaCl aqueous solution. Besides, the superhydrophobic surface showed a good stability in simulated seawater and humid air. In addition, the formation mechanism of copper superhydrophobic surface was analyzed based on the results of SEM, XRD and XPS. (c) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.