Patterns of silver metal were prepared on DNA networks by a template-directed selective deposition and subsequent metallization process. Scanning force microscopic observations and XPS investigations demonstrated that uniform networks of nanosized silver metal clusters formed after incubation of DNA LB films with silver ions and subsequent chemical reduction of silver ions/DNA films samples. The results showed that this template-directed metallization on DNA LB films provided a simple and effective method for the construction of functional nanocomposite films. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.