In recent years, the use of nanocomposite materials to functionalize surfaces has beeninvestigated, taking advantage of the complementary properties of the nanocompositeconstituents. Among this family of materials, ceramic-Ag coatings have been widely studieddue to the large variety of functionalities that silver possesses and the possibility oftuning the coating’s practical features by selecting the proper matrix to support this noblemetal. Therefore, this review focuses on the effects of silver nanoparticles on the functionalproperties of ceramic-Ag nanocomposites. The chemistry, structure, morphology andtopography of the coatings are analyzed with respect to the changes produced by the silvernanoparticles’ distribution, amount and sizes and by altering production process variables.To offer a clear understanding of the functionalities of these materials, the optical, electrical,mechanical, tribological, electrochemical and biological properties reported in the lastdecade are reviewed, focusing on the ability to tune such properties by modifying the silverdistribution, morphology and composition. In particular, the surface plasmon resonance,self-lubricating ability and antibacterial effect of silver are covered in detail, establishingtheir correlation with factors such as silver diffusion, segregation and ionization.
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