Electroless plating method using non-reducing agent

A method for forming a pattern in a polymeric layer, the method comprising:

• providing a polymeric layer comprising a reactive composition that comprises a reactive polymer that comprises:
• a polymer backbone, (1) pendant labile groups that are connected to the polymer backbone and the pendant labile groups being capable of being deblocked to provide pendant sulfonic acid groups upon exposure of the reactive polymer to radiation having a λmax of at least 150 nm and up to and including 450 nm, and (2) pendant groups that are connected to the polymer backbone, which pendant groups are capable of reacting in the presence of the pendant sulfonic acid groups to provide crosslinking in the reactive polymer,
• patternwise exposing the polymeric layer to radiation having a λmax of at least 150 nm and up to and including 450 nm, to provide a polymeric layer comprising non-exposed regions comprising the reactive composition and reactive polymer and exposed regions comprising a deblocked and crosslinked polymer,
• removing the reactive composition in the non-exposed regions,
• contacting the exposed regions of the polymeric layer comprising the deblocked and crosslinked polymer with electroless seed metal ions to form a pattern of electroless seed metal ions coordinated within the exposed regions,
• contacting the pattern of coordinate electroless seed metal ions in the exposed regions of the polymeric layer with a non-reducing reagent that reacts with the coordinated electroless seed metal ions to form a bound electroless seed metal compound that has a pKsp of less than 40, and
• electrolessly plating the bound metal electroless seed metal compound in the exposed regions of the polymeric layer with a metal that is the same as or different from the metal that is within the bound electroless seed metal compound.