Abstract: An internal combustion engine is presented having at least one combustion chamber, wherein a surface of at least one component of the combustion chamber and/or of an internal-combustion-engine component which is close to the combustion chamber and carries the exhaust gas stream is at least partially coated with a catalytic coating. The surface will come into contact with an air-fuel mixture or with an exhaust gas stream.

Abstract: The invention relates to an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, wherein a surface of at least one component of the combustion chamber and/or of an internal-combustion-engine component which is close to the combustion chamber and carries the exhaust gas stream is at least partially coated with a catalytic coating, said surface coming into contact with an air-fuel mixture or with an exhaust gas stream. The invention provides that the catalytic coating has a nanostructure composed of oblong structural elements, wherein the first ends of the structural elements adhere to the coated surface and the second ends of the structural elements project into the combustion chamber or into the space which carries the exhaust gas stream. Such a coating is preferably produced according to the gas flow sputtering method or according to the magnetron sputtering method.

Abstract: Described is a process for protecting a metallic substrate against corrosion resulting in the formation of a species X, derived from the metal, wherein a coating composition based on (hetero)polysiloxanes prepared by hydrolysis and condensation processes is applied to the substrate and cured, and which is characterized in that the coating composition comprises at least one species Z which reacts or interacts with the metal to form a species Y having a more negative formation enthalpy than the species X.