A method for application of a first metal on a substrate surface, said method comprising the steps: a) providing a mixture comprising at least one solvent, at least one polymerizable monomer, and at least one photoinitiator, wherein said at least one photoinitiator, said at least one polymerizable monomer, and said at least one solvent form an amorphous mixture without any crystals, wherein said at least one polymerizable monomer is able to polymerize to a polymer comprising at least one carboxylic group, and wherein said at least one polymerizable monomer is in monomer form in said mixture, b) applying said mixture at least partially on said substrate surface, said substrate surface comprises covalently bound hydrogen atoms, c) evaporating at least a part of said at least one solvent. d) activating said at least one photoinitiator by irradiation with light at a wavelength adapted to said at least one photoinitiator so that said at least one photoinitiator decomposes into at least one free radical, so that said at least one free radical initiates a polymerization reaction among said at least one polymerizable monomers and induce a reaction between said covalently bound hydrogen atoms on said substrate surface and a fraction of said at least one polymerizable monomers, to obtain polymers on the surface of said substrate, wherein said polymers comprise at least one carboxylic group, and wherein at least a fraction of said polymers formed are covalently bound to said surface, e) applying at least one selected from the group consisting of ions of at least one second metal and nanoparticles comprising at least one second metal, wherein said nanoparticles have an average diameter in the range from 1 to 100 nm, f) if ions of at least one second metal have been applied, at least partially reducing said ions of at least one second metal to metal, g) depositing the first metal on at least one selected from the group consisting of the reduced ions of said at least one second metal and the nanoparticles comprising at least one second metal. a) providing a mixture comprising at least one solvent, at least one polymerizable monomer, and at least one photoinitiator, wherein said at least one photoinitiator, said at least one polymerizable monomer, and said at least one solvent form an amorphous mixture without any crystals, wherein said at least one polymerizable monomer is able to polymerize to a polymer comprising at least one carboxylic group, and wherein said at least one polymerizable monomer is in monomer form in said mixture, b) applying said mixture at least partially on said substrate surface, said substrate surface comprises covalently bound hydrogen atoms, c) evaporating at least a part of said at least one solvent. d) activating said at least one photoinitiator by irradiation with light at a wavelength adapted to said at least one photoinitiator so that said at least one photoinitiator decomposes into at least one free radical, so that said at least one free radical initiates a polymerization reaction among said at least one polymerizable monomers and induce a reaction between said covalently bound hydrogen atoms on said substrate surface and a fraction of said at least one polymerizable monomers, to obtain polymers on the surface of said substrate, wherein said polymers comprise at least one carboxylic group, and wherein at least a fraction of said polymers formed are covalently bound to said surface, e) applying at least one selected from the group consisting of ions of at least one second metal and nanoparticles comprising at least one second metal, wherein said nanoparticles have an average diameter in the range from 1 to 100 nm, f) if ions of at least one second metal have been applied, at least partially reducing said ions of at least one second metal to metal, g) depositing the first metal on at least one selected from the group consisting of the reduced ions of said at least one second metal and the nanoparticles comprising at least one second metal.