A novel metal/semiconductor hybrid nanocomposite with enhanced catalytic and magnetic properties has been prepared via a simple self-assembly approach. The new material consists of highly dispersed Au or Pt nanoparticles anchored to the surface of the Ni7S6 microflowers. The density of Au nanoparticles decorated each Ni7S6 microflowers can be readily controlled through suitably modulating the concentration of Au added. Our approach provides an efficient method to attach metal nanostructures to semiconductors and can be used in catalytic, optical and magnetic applications. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.