A simple polyol process is presented here to synthesize silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) on titanium nanosphere substrate (Ag-TiO2), which are subsequently decorated on the surface of electrospun polyurethane (PU) nanofibers by immersion in hot colloidal solution. Various spectroscopic and physical characterization techniques are utilized to study the physico-chemical properties of the prepared samples. The polyol-synthesized Ag-TiO2 decorated PU nanofibers show superior antibacterial properties under UV light, and are potentially useful for water filtration application. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.