Functionalized Particles and Use Thereof

A powder coating composition, comprising:

• functionalized particles obtainable by a method which comprises reacting inorganic particles with alkoxysilanes having the general structural formula (I) R1Si(OR2)3, silane oligomers having the general structural formula (II)
• (R1)(OR2)2Si—O—[—Si(R1)(OR2)—O—]m.—Si(R1)(OR2)2
• or mixtures thereof, wherein the above formulae (I) and (II):
• R1 is a nonhydrolyzable, aliphatic, straight-chain or branched-chain hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 18, preferably having 1 to 10, carbon atoms, also with —O— in the chain, having at least one, preferably terminal, functional group which is able to enter into an addition reaction or condensation reaction, preferably selected from amino, epoxy, vinyl, and methacrylate,
• R2 is H or a hydrolyzable group, preferably —OR with R=C1-C18 alkyl, especially C1-C10 alkyl, and
• m=0-10, and
• wherein the functionalized particles have an average particle diameter of d50=1 nm to 100 μm.