Wood–Polymer Composite Modified With Biomimetic Compounds for Selective Electroless Metallization Using Laser Radiation

A wood–polymer composite based on polylactide, incorporating wood flour (WF) modified with biomimetic compounds (polydopamine (PDA) and poly(tannic acid) (PTA)), was developed for selective electroless metallization using laser activation. The key element was the utilization of biomimetic coatings capable of reducing silver ions and forming metallic particles that act as catalytic centers for subsequent copper deposition. The investigations confirmed the effectiveness of the filler modification and deposition of silver on its surface. It was demonstrated that the type of applied coating significantly influences the properties of the composites: PDA enhanced interfacial adhesion and mechanical performance at lower WF contents, whereas PTA didn’t exhibit comparable efficiency. The application of Nd:YAG laser enabled localized surface activation and selective copper deposition exclusively within the irradiated regions. It was shown that process parameters, particularly laser power and scanning speed, determine the quality and uniformity of the resulting metallic tracks. Effective metallization was achieved only for composites containing PDA‐modified WF. The results indicate that the use of PDA as a functional layer constitutes an effective strategy for the fabrication of biodegradable composites with locally integrated conductive properties, thereby opening new opportunities for their application in functional materials, including low‐power electronics and intelligent packaging systems.