Mechanically robust silver coatings prepared by electroless plating on thermoplastic polyurethane

A simple and low-cost surface functionalization method is proposed to activate a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for the electroless deposition of a silver coating with excellent adhesion and low resistivity. The TPU surface functionalization was performed in solution and consisted in forming a physical interpenetrating network at the TPU surface, involving TPU and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a polymer displaying a strong affinity for metals....