Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers with antibacterial, electromagnetic shielding and antistatic functionalities were fabricated in this paper through modifying PAN fibers with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (MPTES) sequentially and followed with silver electroless plating. The silver layer on PAN fiber surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the silver layer was plated uniformly and compactly. The surface resistance of plated fabric was about 40 m Omega/sq on average. The antibacterial tests demonstrate that silver-plated PAN fiber exhibits excellent antibacterial property against S. aureus and E. coli with a non-leaching characteristic. The antibacterial property remains good after 30 cycles of standard washing, which is a strong proof of a durable adhesion between metal layer and fiber. The shielding effectiveness (SE) of silver-plated PAN fabric before and after 30 cycles of standard washing was about 40-80 dB and 35-50 dB, respectively. This resultant fiber can be used in many occasions for reducing or preventing electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic hazards. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.