This work reports a method that we have developed to successfully load Ag nanoparticles on the surfaces of MIL-53(Al) frameworks without inducing structural degradation. Compared to the free framework, the Ag-nanoparticle loaded MIL-53(Al) shows remarkable catalytic activity for CO oxidation and potential applications at reasonable temperature ranges. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.