Use of an aqueous alkaline composition for the electroless deposition of a metal or metal alloy on a metal surface of a substrate

A method of electroless deposition of a metal or metal alloy on a metal surface of a substrate, comprising immersion of the substrate into an aqueous alkaline deposition composition comprising:

• (a) functionalized urea derivatives and/or salts thereof selected from the group comprising compounds having formula I and/or salts thereof:
• wherein
• X is selected as oxygen;
• R1 and R2 are independently selected as nitrogen-comprising heteroaromatic compounds;
• wherein R1 and R2 can be identical or different;
• m is an integer from 2 to 6;
• and
• n is an integer from 2 to 6;
• wherein m and n can be identical or different;
• (b) at least one source of metal ions providing metal ions to be deposited as metal onto the metal surface of the substrate wherein the deposited metal or metal alloy is different from the metal or metal alloy of the metal surface;
• (c) optionally at least one source of alloying metal ions;
• and
• wherein the compounds having formula I and/or salts thereof are present in the composition at a total concentration from 1 wt.-% to 20 wt.-% based on the total weight of the composition.