The polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fabric coated with ZnO-Ag composite was achieved by hydrothermal synthesis techniques and photochemical method. The PAN fabrics coated with ZnO-Ag composite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), UV-vis spectrophotometer and fabric induced static tester, respectively. The SEM images revealed the formation of the coating aggregates on the fiber surface. The FT-IR spectra and XRD patterns revealed the chemical structures of the coatings on the PAN fabrics. The results of UV-vis test showed that there was an obvious increase in ultraviolet resistant properties after coating. The antistatic properties results revealed the improvement in the antistatic performance of coated fabrics, attributed to the superior electrical and optical properties of ZnO and Ag. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.