The lack of robust interphases bonding between carbon fiber (CF) and polyimide (PI) polymer composites can be tackled by growing homogeneous copper oxide (CuO) nanowires 2 similar to 3 mu m on the surface of the CFC. The CuO nanowires can improve the interface compatibility with PI, and introduce a lubricating phase into PI/CuO@CFC composite to boost its mechanical and tribological performance. Compared to PI/CFC composites, PI/CuO@CFC composites were given a lower friction coefficient (45% lower), as well as a narrower wear width (47% lower), and the tensile strength increased by 43%. The enhancement mechanism is proposed via the analysis of the composite interface and worn surface. Therefore, it is an effective method to grow CuO nanowires for preparing high-performance PI/CFC composites, and has important application prospects in tribology field.