An antibacterial compound of silver chelate of 1, 10-phenanthroline/montmorillonite was synthesized by using microwave radiation. According to the XRD, the antibacterial compound was stable up to about 300 ℃ and XPS analysis indicated that change of silver state occurred in the order of silver chelate→silver(I) oxide→metallic silver, and high resolution XPS scans of the individual elements showed the changes of binding energies result from the change of the interlayer and surface environment as the treatment temperature increases. Silver particles formed in the samples after heating to 400 ℃ and grew with increasing temperature.