A silane of the formula R 1 m R 2 n SiX 4-m-n, wherein R 1 is a hydrocarbon-containing, branched or unbranched radical bonded to the silicon atom via carbon, which radical is substituted on at least one of its carbon atoms by a group of the formula (Ar) b a -A-Y(R 3)- and optionally substituted with one or more further substituents, wherein Ar represents an aromatic radical having or consisting of at least one aryl and/or heteroaryl group, W is a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon radical whose chain may be interrupted by - S-, -O-, -NR 4 -, -C O-, -NHC -, -C NH-, -NHC NH-, -NHC O-, -C NHC -, - NHC NH-, -S -, -C O-, -C NH-, -NHC NH-, -NHC O-, A is either divalent and then has the meaning -O-, -C O-, -S-, -NR 4 - or -P e (R 4) c d -, wherein Z = OR 4, c = 0 or 1, d = 0 or 1, (c+d) = 1 and e = 0 or 1, or has three bonds and denotes -N= or -P e =, R 4 = any hydrocarbon-containing radical and, in addition, may be hydrogen in the -NR 4 radical, Y represents an alkylene group resulting from the ring opening of a reactive cyclic ether group, which may carry at least one further substituent in addition to the radical R 3 indicated in the formula, R 3 is either OH or -D- or -D- a (Ar) b, wherein D is selected from a carboxyl group (ester group), ether group, urethane group and hydroxy-substituted ethyleneoxy group bonded via carbon to or to W or, in the case of a = 0, to Ar, and is an organically polymerizable radical carrying at least one organically polymerizable C=C double bond, and W, Ar, a and b are as defined for formula, wherein Ar must be bound to W if a is ≠ 0, a is 0 or 1 and b can be 1 or, in the case of a = 1 and/or in the case where A has three bonds, an integer greater than 1, R 2 is a hydrocarbon-containing radical bonded to the silicon via carbon, X is a group hydrolyzable from silicon under hydrolytic conditions or OH, m is 1, 2 or 3, and n is 0 or 1 or 2, provided that m + n is 1, 2 or 3. R 1 is a hydrocarbon-containing, branched or unbranched radical bonded to the silicon atom via carbon, which radical is substituted on at least one of its carbon atoms by a group of the formula (Ar) b a -A-Y(R 3)- and optionally substituted with one or more further substituents, wherein Ar represents an aromatic radical having or consisting of at least one aryl and/or heteroaryl group, W is a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon radical whose chain may be interrupted by - S-, -O-, -NR 4 -, -C O-, -NHC -, -C NH-, -NHC NH-, -NHC O-, -C NHC -, - NHC NH-, -S -, -C O-, -C NH-, -NHC NH-, -NHC O-, A is either divalent and then has the meaning -O-, -C O-, -S-, -NR 4 - or -P e (R 4) c d -, wherein Z = OR 4, c = 0 or 1, d = 0 or 1, (c+d) = 1 and e = 0 or 1, or has three bonds and denotes -N= or -P e =, R 4 = any hydrocarbon-containing radical and, in addition, may be hydrogen in the -NR 4 radical, Y represents an alkylene group resulting from the ring opening of a reactive cyclic ether group, which may carry at least one further substituent in addition to the radical R 3 indicated in the formula, R 3 is either OH or -D- or -D- a (Ar) b, wherein D is selected from a carboxyl group (ester group), ether group, urethane group and hydroxy-substituted ethyleneoxy group bonded via carbon to or to W or, in the case of a = 0, to Ar, and is an organically polymerizable radical carrying at least one organically polymerizable C=C double bond, and W, Ar, a and b are as defined for formula, wherein Ar must be bound to W if a is ≠ 0, a is 0 or 1 and b can be 1 or, in the case of a = 1 and/or in the case where A has three bonds, an integer greater than 1, wherein Ar represents an aromatic radical having or consisting of at least one aryl and/or heteroaryl group, W is a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon radical whose chain may be interrupted by - S-, -O-, -NR 4 -, -C O-, -NHC -, -C NH-, -NHC NH-, -NHC O-, -C NHC -, - NHC NH-, -S -, -C O-, -C NH-, -NHC NH-, -NHC O-, A is either divalent and then has the meaning -O-, -C O-, -S-, -NR 4 - or -P e (R 4) c d -, wherein Z = OR 4, c = 0 or 1, d = 0 or 1, (c+d) = 1 and e = 0 or 1, or has three bonds and denotes -N= or -P e =, R 4 = any hydrocarbon-containing radical and, in addition, may be hydrogen in the -NR 4 radical, Y represents an alkylene group resulting from the ring opening of a reactive cyclic ether group, which may carry at least one further substituent in addition to the radical R 3 indicated in the formula, R 3 is either OH or -D- or -D- a (Ar) b, wherein D is selected from a carboxyl group (ester group), ether group, urethane group and hydroxy-substituted ethyleneoxy group bonded via carbon to or to W or, in the case of a = 0, to Ar, and is an organically polymerizable radical carrying at least one organically polymerizable C=C double bond, and W, Ar, a and b are as defined for formula, wherein Ar must be bound to W if a is ≠ 0, a is 0 or 1 and b can be 1 or, in the case of a = 1 and/or in the case where A has three bonds, an integer greater than 1, R 2 is a hydrocarbon-containing radical bonded to the silicon via carbon, X is a group hydrolyzable from silicon under hydrolytic conditions or OH, m is 1, 2 or 3, and n is 0 or 1 or 2, provided that m + n is 1, 2 or 3.