A silane of the general formula: Y[-G(-SiX u Z c w) s] r (Formula 1) wherein each occurrence of G is independently chosen from the group t consisting of -(CH 2) m - wherein m is 1 to 12 and CH 2 (CH 2) q CH(CH 3)- wherein q is 0; each occurrence of X is independently selected from the group consisting of -Cl, R 1 O- and -O(R 10 CR 11) f OH; each occurrence of Z c is independently given by -O(R 10 CR 11) f O-; each occurrence of R 1 is independently hydrogen, methyl, ethyl and propyl; each occurrence of R 10 and R 11 is independently selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, methyl and ethyl; each occurrence of the subscript f is independently 2 or 3; u is 1; w is 1; r is 1 or 2; s is 1; and Y is a univalent or divalent organofunctional group selected from the group consisting of mercapto, acryloxy, methacryloxy, -O-CH 2 -C 2 H 3 O, -CH 2 -CH 2 -C 6 H 9 O, -C 6 H 9 O, -NR 4 C(=O)OR 5, -OC(=O)NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 C(=O)SR 5,-SC(=O)NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 C(=S)OR 5, -OC(=S)NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 C(=S)SR 5,-SC(=S)NR 4 R 5, maleimide, -SCN, -N=C=S, -SR 4, -S-SR 4, -S-S-SR 4, -S-S-S-SR 4, -S-S-S-S-SR 4, -S-S-S-S-S-SR 4, -SC(=S)OR 4, -SC(=S)SR 4, -SC(=O)SR 4, -NR 4 C(=O)NR 5 R 6, -NR 4 C(=S)NR 5 R 6, R 4 C(=S)NR 4 -, -NH 2, -NHR 4, -NR 4 R 5,-NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 R 6, -NR 4 -L 1 (-NR 5 R 6) 2, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 (-NR 5 R 6) 3,-NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 -L 3 -NR 7 R 8, -NR 4 -L 1 -N(-L 2 NR 5 R 6) 2; -(-)NC(=O)OR 5,-OC(=O)NR 4 -, -(-)NC(=O)SR 5, -SC(=O)NR 4 -, -(-)NC(=S)OR 5, -OC(=S)NR 4 -, -(-)NC(=S)SR 5, -SC(=S)NR 4 -, -S-, -S-S-, -S-S-S-, -S-S-S-S-, -S-S-S-S-S-, -S-S-S-S-S-S-, -SC(=S)O-, -SC(=S)S-, -SC(=O)S-, -(-)NC(=O)NR 4 R 5, - NR 4 C(=O)NR 5 -, -(-)NC(=S)NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 C(=S)NR 5 -, R 4 C(=S)N(-)-, -NH-, -NR 4 -, -(-)N-L 1 -NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -, (-)NR 4) 2 -L 1 -NR 5 R 6, -(-)N-L 1 NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 -N(-)-L 2 -NR 5 R 6, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 -, -(-)N-L 1 -(NR 5 R 6) 3, (-NR 4) 2 -L 1 -(NR 5 R 6) 2, -(-)N-L 1 -NR 4 -L 2 -NR 5 -L 3 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 -N(-)-L 2 -NR 5 -L 3 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -N(-)-L 3 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 -L 3 -NR 7 -, -(-)N-L 1 -N(-L 2 -NR 5 R 6) 2, and (-NR 4 L 1 -) 2 N-L 2 NR 5 R 6; wherein each occurrence of L 1, L 2, and L 3 is selected independently from the meanings given for G, and each occurrence of R 4, R 5, R 6, R 7 and R 8 is selected independently from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1 to C4 straight chain or branched alkyls, phenyl or benzyl. each occurrence of G is independently chosen from the group t consisting of -(CH 2) m - wherein m is 1 to 12 and CH 2 (CH 2) q CH(CH 3)- wherein q is 0; each occurrence of X is independently selected from the group consisting of -Cl, R 1 O- and -O(R 10 CR 11) f OH; each occurrence of Z c is independently given by -O(R 10 CR 11) f O-; each occurrence of R 1 is independently hydrogen, methyl, ethyl and propyl; each occurrence of R 10 and R 11 is independently selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, methyl and ethyl; each occurrence of the subscript f is independently 2 or 3; u is 1; w is 1; r is 1 or 2; s is 1; and Y is a univalent or divalent organofunctional group selected from the group consisting of mercapto, acryloxy, methacryloxy, -O-CH 2 -C 2 H 3 O, -CH 2 -CH 2 -C 6 H 9 O, -C 6 H 9 O, -NR 4 C(=O)OR 5, -OC(=O)NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 C(=O)SR 5,-SC(=O)NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 C(=S)OR 5, -OC(=S)NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 C(=S)SR 5,-SC(=S)NR 4 R 5, maleimide, -SCN, -N=C=S, -SR 4, -S-SR 4, -S-S-SR 4, -S-S-S-SR 4, -S-S-S-S-SR 4, -S-S-S-S-S-SR 4, -SC(=S)OR 4, -SC(=S)SR 4, -SC(=O)SR 4, -NR 4 C(=O)NR 5 R 6, -NR 4 C(=S)NR 5 R 6, R 4 C(=S)NR 4 -, -NH 2, -NHR 4, -NR 4 R 5,-NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 R 6, -NR 4 -L 1 (-NR 5 R 6) 2, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 (-NR 5 R 6) 3,-NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 -L 3 -NR 7 R 8, -NR 4 -L 1 -N(-L 2 NR 5 R 6) 2; -(-)NC(=O)OR 5,-OC(=O)NR 4 -, -(-)NC(=O)SR 5, -SC(=O)NR 4 -, -(-)NC(=S)OR 5, -OC(=S)NR 4 -, -(-)NC(=S)SR 5, -SC(=S)NR 4 -, -S-, -S-S-, -S-S-S-, -S-S-S-S-, -S-S-S-S-S-, -S-S-S-S-S-S-, -SC(=S)O-, -SC(=S)S-, -SC(=O)S-, -(-)NC(=O)NR 4 R 5, - NR 4 C(=O)NR 5 -, -(-)NC(=S)NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 C(=S)NR 5 -, R 4 C(=S)N(-)-, -NH-, -NR 4 -, -(-)N-L 1 -NR 4 R 5, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -, (-)NR 4) 2 -L 1 -NR 5 R 6, -(-)N-L 1 NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 -N(-)-L 2 -NR 5 R 6, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 -, -(-)N-L 1 -(NR 5 R 6) 3, (-NR 4) 2 -L 1 -(NR 5 R 6) 2, -(-)N-L 1 -NR 4 -L 2 -NR 5 -L 3 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 -N(-)-L 2 -NR 5 -L 3 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -N(-)-L 3 -NR 6 R 7, -NR 4 -L 1 -NR 5 -L 2 -NR 6 -L 3 -NR 7 -, -(-)N-L 1 -N(-L 2 -NR 5 R 6) 2, and (-NR 4 L 1 -) 2 N-L 2 NR 5 R 6; wherein each occurrence of L 1, L 2, and L 3 is selected independently from the meanings given for G, and each occurrence of R 4, R 5, R 6, R 7 and R 8 is selected independently from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1 to C4 straight chain or branched alkyls, phenyl or benzyl.