Chitosan films containing carbon black (carbon black/chitosan ratios of 1, 3, 5% w/w) or silver nanoparticles prepared from starting silver nitrate (1, 3, 5 mM of AgNO 3) were synthesized via spin coating. Optical microscopy revealed that the film surface was porous, and AFM confirmed an increase in film roughness in the presence of the dispersoids. XRD spectra indicated that the incorporation of carbon black disrupted the structure of the chitosan films. UV-vis measurements confirmed the presence of Ag nanoparticles in the chitosan films with the plasmon centered at 450 nm. FTIR spectroscopy analyses suggested that the disperse phases did not affect the development of the polymeric matrix. The glass transition temperature and degradation temperatures of the chitosan composite films were determined to be 86±10°C and 256±7°C, respectively. The incorporation of particles increased the glass transition temperature, but did not have a significant effect on the thermal degradation behavior.