1. A process for forming a patterned electroless metal deposit on a substrate, comprising: (a) providing a substrate having on at least a portion of its surface one or more multidentate chemical groups capable of ligating to an electroless metallization catalyst; (b) exposing the substrate to patterned activating radiation to form a pattern of substrate surface areas that are selectively reactive to electroless deposition; (c) contacting the substrate with an electroless metallization catalyst that is at least substantially tin-free, the electroless metallization catalyst ligating to the multidentate chemical groups on the substrate surface substantially by coordination type binding other than electrostatic interaction; and (d) contacting the substrate with an electroless metallization solution to form a patterned electroless metal deposit on the substrate surface, said metal deposit corresponding to the pattern of surface areas selectively reactive to electroless deposition formed in said step (b).