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• In-situ synthesis of cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) on cotton and coating with nanocellulose, the Cu 2 O crystal structures was ideal octahedron and not easy to ditch. • COCO-5 exhibited high photocatalytic degradation of dyes, and the catalytic degradation process was monitored by comprehensive technical tests. • COCO-5 exhibited highly effective antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. • COCO-5 maintained high stability after multiple photocatalytic degradation of dyes or antibacterial tests, and the mechanical properties of this composite had not decreased. In this study, the cotton fabrics/cuprous oxide-nanocellulose (Cu 2 O-NC) flexible and recyclable composite material (COCO) with highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of dyes and antibacterial properties was fabricated. Using flexible cotton fabrics as substrates, Cu 2 O were in-situ synthesized to make Cu 2 O uniformly grew on cotton fibers and were wrapped with NC. The photocatalytic degradation ability of COCO-5 was verified by use methylene blue (MB), the degradation rate was as high as 98.32%. The mechanism of COCO-5 photocatalysis and the process of dye degradation were analyzed by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum, transient photocurrent response (TPR) spectrum, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and ion chromatography (IC). This study analyzed the complete path from electron excitation to dye degradation to harmless small molecules. Qualitative and quantitative experiments demonstrate that COCO-5 has high antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli , the highest antibacterial rate can reach 93.25%. Finally, the stability of COCO-5 was verified by recycling and mechanical performance tests. The textile-based Cu 2 O functionalized material has photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial properties, and the preparation process is simple and convenient for repeated use, so it has great potential in wastewater treatment containing dyes and bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]