Abstract: The invention provides a process of preparation photonic crystals which is distinguished by high efficiency and which provide photonic crystals having an opalescent effect of high quality; the process comprises (a) providing a dispersion of mono-disperse spheres in a liquid, (b) applying the dispersion onto a plain surface of an absorbent substrate selected from the group consisting of paper, textile and wood, and (c) removing the liquid from the dispersion on the surface to produce the photonic crystals in the form of a tightly packed and regularly arranged structure of mono-disperse spheres in the resulted particles; using the process according to the invention, it is possible to produce photonic crystals usable as pigment particles with a high optical brilliance in the color and with a color stability for the use in, e.g., coating compositions and inks.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ink jet ink composition containing monodisperse polymer particles to provide an opaque ink with improved color brilliancy, ink jet ink sets based on this composition, and a methods for ink jet printing with the ink and/or ink jet sets.

Abstract: A multi-layer coating for coating a substrate surface, comprising at least one color-imparting layer, which contains three-dimensional photonic crystals as effect-imparting interference pigments.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ink jet ink composition containing monodisperse polymer particles to provide an opaque ink with improved color brilliancy, ink jet ink sets based on this composition, and a methods for ink jet printing with the ink and/or ink jet sets.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for multi-layer coating of substrates, in particular vehicles and vehicle parts, by applying two or more coating layers and curing of the applied coatings, wherein at least one of the coating layers is produced from a coating composition which comprises a binder system with free-radically polymerizable olefinic double bonds and with hydrolysable alkoxysilane groups, wherein the resin solids content of the coating composition exhibits an equivalent weight of C?C double bonds of 200-2000, preferably of 300-1500, and a content of silicon bound in alkoxysilane groups of 1-10 wt-%, preferably of 1-7 wt-%, especially preferably of 2-6 wt-%, and wherein curing of the coating layer, of which there is at least one, proceeds by free-radical polymerization of the C?C double bonds under the action of thermal energy and by the formation of siloxane bridges under the action of moisture.

Abstract: A multi-layer coating for coating a substrate surface, comprising at least one color-imparting layer, which contains three-dimensional photonic crystals as effect-imparting interference pigments.

Abstract: Binders suitable for coating compositions, obtainable by reaction of one or more epoxy-functional binders with carboxyl-functional nanoparticles, and coating compositions containing them and the use thereof.