Process for modifying surfaces

A method of modifying and/or coating a surface which comprises:

• applying one or more mixed curable hydroxyl-containing silyl polyethers having at least one non-terminal sily function to the surface;
• wherein the one or more mixed curable hydroxyl-containing silyl polyethers is a compound of formula (1);
• where a is an integer from 1 to 3;
• where b is an integer from 0 to 2;
• where the sum of a and b is 3;
• where c is an integer from 0 to 22;
• where d is an integer from greater than 1 to 1000;
• where e is an integer from 0 to 10 000;
• where f is an integer from 0 to 1000;
• where is an integer from 0 to 1000;
• where h, i and j are integers from 0 to 500;
• with the proviso that the fragments having the indices d to j are freely permutable with one another, i.e. are interchangeable in the sequence within the polyether chain;
• where n is an integer between 2 and 8;
• where R represents one or more identical or different radicals selected from linear or branched, saturated, singularly or multiply unsaturated alkyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or haloalkyl groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;
• where R1 is a saturated or unsaturated, optionally branched radical which is attached via an oxygen atom, or is a polyether radical of the type of an alkoxy, arylalkoxy or alkylarylalkoxy group, in which the carbon chain may be interrupted by oxygen atoms, or is an optionally singularly or multiply fused aromatic aryloxy group, or is a silicon compound or a siloxane radical, which may be substituted by alkyl and/or aryl groups;
• where R2 or R3, and R5 or R6, is or else are independently of one another H or a saturated or optionally singularly or multiply unsaturated, including further substituted, optionally monovalent or polyvalent hydrocarbon radical, the radicals R5 or R6 being a monovalent hydrocarbon radical, it being possible for the hydrocarbon radical to be bridged cycloaliphatically via the fragment Y;
• Y may be absent, or else may be a methylene bridge having 1 or 2 methylene units;
• if Y is absent, then or R2 R3 independently of one another are each a linear or branched radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;
• where R4 is a linear or branched alkyl radical of 1 to 24 carbon atoms or an aromatic or cycloaliphatic radical, winch optionally may in turn carry alkyl groups;
• where R7 and R8 are independently of one another either hydrogen, or alkyl, al-koxy, aryl or aralkyl groups which arc copolymerized by ring-opening polymerization to give crosslinkable polyether esters containing alkoxysilane groups;
• and
• where R9, R10, R11 and R12 are independently of one another either hydrogen or alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, aryl or aralkyl groups, it being possible for the hydrocarbon radical to he bridged cycloaliphatically or aromatically via the fragment Z, and it being possible for Z to be a divalent alkylene or alkenylene radical.