Chitosan films with various compositions of silver nanoparticles were prepared by solution casting with an aqueous solution of chitosan and l-lactic acid. The chitosan/Ag nanocomposites were characterized by wide angle Xray diffraction (WAXD) and UV-vis spectroscopy. An analysis of the surface topography and size of the Ag nanoparticles (<= 100 nm) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA) confirmed the increase in thermal stability with increasing Ag nanoparticle content in the nanocomposites. Dynamic thermal analysis (DMA) was used to examine the phase relaxation behavior of chitosan and its nanocomposites. The conductivity of chitosan/Ag nanocomposites was considered with respect to the frequency. Contact angle measurements were used to characterize the surface twistability, surface cleanliness, and hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of the surface.