In this study, a novel photocatalytic and antibacterial Ag-ZnO decorated carbon fiber composite was synthesized by a simple electrospinning method followed by the hydrothermal treatment. Aqueous suspension containing Ag and ZnO precursors with the carbon nanofibers was kept in the hydrothermal process at 140 degrees C for 2.11 to obtain a homogenous distribution of Ag-ZnO NPs throughout the surface of carbon fibers. The studies of the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and antibacterial performance against Escherichia coli (E. coli) indicated that the as-synthesized composites show enhanced adsorption, visible-light-driven photocatalytic, and antibacterial properties than that of pristine ZnO particles. Therefore, this work provides a facile method of the preparation of carbon fiber based composites which may have potential applications in the environmental fields. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.