Unlike traditional methods of introduction of prepared metal nanoparticles into polymer composition, in our method Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are formed in the course of drying of molding composition on the basis of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) due to slow reduction of ions Ag by "soft" organic reducing agents quaternary ammonium compounds. The sizes of Ag NPs are determined and character of their distribution on the surface of PVA film is established by means of spectrophotometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy. Correlation is found between the data on absorption spectra and micrographs done by means of optical microscopy, AFM, TEM and SEM. Variations of the sizes and features of Ag NPs distribution in the polymeric film are examined. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.