Ag/ZnO heterostructure nanocrystals were successfully synthesized by a novel method using glucose as a reducing agent. The Ag/ZnO heterostructure nanocrystals were composed of ZnO nanorods and metallic Ag nanoparticles (10-30 nm). The formation mechanism of Ag/ZnO heterostructure nanocrystals was clearly discussed. The photocatalytic performance of Ag/ZnO heterostructure nanocrystals was evaluated by analyzing the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV illumination. The Ag/ZnO heterostructure nanocrystals showed an enhanced photocatalytic performance, and the optimized Ag content was investigated. Besides, no obvious loss of photocatalytic activity was observed after five cycles, indicating the excellent photostability of Ag/ZnO heterostructure nanocrystals. This synthesis method has great potential for the industrial production of Ag/ZnO heterostructure nanocrystals as photocatalysts. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.