A new type of multicoated silica/zirconia/silver (SiO2/ZrO2/Ag) core-shell composite microspheres is synthesized in this paper. In the process, ZrO2-decorated silica (SiO2/ZrO2) core-shell composites were firstly fabricated by the modification of zirconia on silica microspheres through the hydrolysis of zirconium precursor. Subsequently, on SiO2/ZrO2 composite cores, silver nanoparticles were introduced via ultrasonic irradiation and acted as "Ag seeds" for the formation of integrate silver shell by further reduction of silver ions using formaldehyde as reducer. The resulting samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared, energy-dispersive X-ray, and UV-vis spectroscopy, indicating that zirconia and silver layers were successfully coated on the surfaces of silica microspheres. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.