Polymer films (polystyrene and acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer) filled with silver nanoparticles were analyzed by optical absorption spectrometry, X-ray photoelcctron spectrometry and laser ablation/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The results indicated that optical absorption of polymer films was affected by Ag nanoparticles; and the interfacial interactions between Ag and the polymer matrices, and the latter was highly dependent on the chemical structure of the polymers. The mass spectral data further demonstrated that the incorporation of Ag nanoparticles into polymers significantly changed the laser ablation mechanism and the products of the polymers. As a result, nano-Ag/polymer films showed a Ag-induced laser-decomposition behavior accompanied by a series of carbon cluster negative ions. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.