Construction of heterostructured silver nanoparticles/silver nanowires@hydrophilic carbon cloth fibers composites for dual-functional microwave absorption and antibacterial applications

• Novel heterostructured AgNPs/AgNWs@HCCF composites were synthesized via polyol process and impregnation, achieving dual-functional microwave absorption and antibacterial performance. • Sample S2 exhibited a peak reflection loss of −53.19 dB at 2.86 mm and an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.36 GHz at 3.50 mm, with a maximum radar cross-section reduction of 35.21 dB·m². • The composite displayed high antibacterial rates of 99.40% against E. coli and 99.93% against S. aureus, addressing the infection risk of conventional absorbers. • Heterojunction interfaces and impedance matching optimization are key mechanisms enabling enhanced electromagnetic attenuation and multifunctional integration.