Abstract: A new, facile, low cost and easy-to-operate method of forming and immobilizing metal nanoparticles on substrates is invented. The method comprises steps of chemical modification of the substrates with chemical linkers, chelation of the metal ions to the modified substrates, the washing of the unbound metal ions and in-situ reduction of the metal ions to produce metal nanoparticles on the substrates with/without the finishing treatment of the metal nanoparticles functionalized substrates with minimum particles aggregations. The metal nanoparticles functionalized substrates generated by the method have wide applications, for example, as anti-microbial agents. The metal nanoparticles are strongly bonded to the substrates, resulting in low metal leaching to the environment.