Poly(butyl acrylate-co-(glycidyl methacrylate-iminodiacetic acid)) microspberes were formed by batch soap-free emulsion copolymerization of n-butyl acrylate with a chelating vinyl monomer, glycidyl methacrylate-iminodi acetic acid (GMA-IDA). The mole content of GMA-IDA within the copolymer film was found to be 8.7% by elemental analysis of C, H, and N. The attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) displayed that the adsorption reactions between the copolymer surface and Ag+ had reached equilibrium for I h. Silver nanoparticles, appearing on the surface of the film, were prepared through the reduction of the copolymer-Ag+ complexes by ultraviolet irradiation and monitored by ATR-FTIR as well as ultraviolet-visible spectrometer. Scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer were employed to characterize the morphology of silver nanoparticles on the copolymer film. It was found that silver nanoparticles were about 30 nm in diameter, individually isolated, and uniformly dispersed on the copolymer surface. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.