The electrodeposition of various metal layers onto laser-activated plastics for different applications is the main objective of Team 1, led by Prof. Frank Köster and Scott Dombrowe. Before the laser-activated substrate can be coated, any contamination on the surface must be removed to ensure good adhesion. Various environmentally friendly processes, such as atmospheric plasma, will be used for pre-treatment. Subsequently, various single-layer coatings – such as copper, nickel, gold and tin – as well as multilayer coatings – such as copper-nickel and copper-nickel-gold – will be deposited using commercial electrolytes under constant current, pulsed current and electroless conditions on plastics for decorative and technical applications. The deposition parameters, such as current density, convection and process time, will be evaluated and optimised. In addition to carrying out the experiments, the project manager is also responsible for the overall organisation of the project. This includes writing reports, planning and chairing meetings, and managing internal data.

The main objective of Team 2, led by Prof. Weißmantel and Laura Dienelt, is the activation of plastics using laser-induced graphene (LIG) and coating via pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Both processes functionalise the plastic surface, as an electrically conductive layer is created by the LIG and PLD processes. This layer should enable direct galvanic metal deposition. This means that the wet chemical substrate pretreatment currently used for plastic metallisation can be omitted, and the full range of plastics can be utilised. The quality of the graphene formation is optimised by adjusting laser parameters such as wavelength, laser pulse fluence and scanning speed. PLD is also used to coat plastics with metals, depositing thin, homogeneous layers. The process conditions are analysed and optimised to ensure high conductivity and adhesion of the layers for subsequent process steps. The structures produced will be characterised by Team 3 and compared with simulations from Team 4 to further improve the processes.

Team 3, led by Prof. Frank Hahn and Nurul Amanina Binti Omar, is characterising the physical and chemical properties of the graphene layer produced by pulsed laser deposition and the metal coatings deposited onto the graphene by Team 2. We use Raman spectroscopy to identify the presence of graphene on the surface of the polymer and to measure its thickness, and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) to obtain structural information about the graphene nanolayer. The deposited metal coatings are characterised using, amongst other methods, SEM for surface morphology, EDX for chemical composition, four-terminal sensing for electrical conductivity measurements, a colorimeter to determine the CIELAB colour space, a glossmeter for measuring the reflective gloss of the metal surface, kaloMAXX for tribological properties, and a coating adhesion test to determine their adhesive tensile strength. The experimental results will be compared with the simulated results from Team 4 to validate the models used.

Team 4, led by Prof. Klaus Dohmen and Niyati Ajay Dave, focuses on simulating and modelling how materials are produced in order to improve and optimise the process. We use advanced computational methods and Python-based tools, utilising libraries such as NumPy, Matplotlib and SciPy to develop efficient workflows and ensure reliable results. One of our key activities is the simulation of the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) process to model thin film layers. By adjusting settings such as laser power, pulse frequency and substrate motion, we ensure that the simulations are realistic and reflect real-world conditions. We also create visualisations of the electric potential in graphene to understand its electronic properties. We also visualise the electric potential in graphene to gain deeper insight into its electronic properties. For the electroplating process, we developed a simulation to analyse critical parameters such as resistance, electrical conductivity, current density, electric field and potential distribution. Using numerical methods to solve the Laplace equation, we modelled the steady-state potential distribution, which plays a crucial role in the controlled deposition of conductive layers on graphene.