Titania-silver (TiO2-Ag) and alumina-silver (Al2O3-Ag) composite nanoparticles were synthesised by a simple, reproducible, wet chemical method under ambient conditions. The surface of the oxides was modified with oleic acid, which acted as an intermediate between the oxide surface and the silver nanoparticles. The resulting composite nanoparticles were thoroughly characterised by XRD, TEM, XPS, FTIR and TGA to elucidate the mode of assembly of Ag nanoparticles on the oxide surfaces. Epoxy nano-composites were formulated with TiO2-Ag and Al2O3-Ag to examine potential applications for the composite nanoparticles. Preliminary results from disc diffusion assays against Escherichia coli DH5 alpha and Staphylococcus epidermidis NCIMB 12721 suggest that these TiO2-Ag and Al2O3-Ag composite nanoparticles have potential as antimicrobial materials. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.