The well-dispersed silver nanoparticles were prepared in reactive methacrylate monomers under microwave irradiation without polymerization. In contrast to conventional heating, the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles proceeded uniformly throughout the reaction vessel only under microwave irradiation, reaching the completion of the reaction simultaneously in the whole reaction solution. Successive polymerization of the monomer containing the resulting nanoparticles has successfully produced a monohybrid of the silver nanoparticles dispersed in polymer matrix. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.