A multifunctional molecular bridge for carbon–silver nanohybrids enabling flexible electronic and biocidal applications

The integration of antimicrobial activity and electrical conductivity in carbon-based materials requires precise control of surface chemistry and metal-carbon interfaces under scalable conditions. Here, a pyrrole-based dual-function molecular bridge (serinol-pyrrole, SP) is employed as a molecular interface to covalently functionalize sp 2 carbon allotropes and to drive the in situ nucleation of silver nanoparticles via a mild, surfactant-free Tollens-type process. This chemistry enables controlled Ag nanoparticle growth directly on carbon substrates without the use of external reductants. The functionalization strategy is applicable to different carbon allotropes and is successfully translated to an aqueous high-shear mixing process, demonstrating industrially relevant scalability while preserving structural and electronic properties. The resulting silver-carbon nanohybrids exhibit minimum bactericidal concentrations down to 7 μg/mL, negligible mammalian cytotoxicity, and electrical conductivity suitable for printable formulations. When incorporated into polymeric coatings and conductive inks, the materials achieve >99.9% bacterial reduction and stable piezoresistive behavior at significantly reduced silver loadings. These results demonstrate how interface-engineered carbon surfaces can enable multifunctional performance through scalable chemistry, offering a general route to silver-carbon nanohybrids with controlled structure and properties. Rationally designed Ag–carbon nanohybrids offer scalable antibacterial protection and electrical performance, unlocking dual functionality in flexible electronics and antimicrobial coatings.