In this study, we report a simple and cost-effective method for in situ decoration of Ag NPs onto nanoporous TiO2 microrods by one medium (ethylene glycol) that can produce two different morphologies. In order to investigate the morphology, phase composition, crystalline structure, and chemical state (valency) of samples before and after annealing in air at different temperatures, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed. The present results show that the size, morphology and crystallinity of both Ag NPs and TiO2 microrod substrate depend on the post-annealing treatment temperatures. The annealed Ag-TiO2 NP/microrod composites show large inhibition zones against E. coli bacteria. The obtained Ag-TiO2 composites have the potential for use as a novel antibacterial material and in water treatment applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.