Eco-friendly, water-borne paints play a decisive role in our daily lives. Not only their ease of handling but also the absence of harmful chemicals are contributing to the fact that such sustainable formulations with favourable labelling are becoming progressively attractive and are gaining in acceptance of the end-user [1]. In this context, the elimination of allergenic and persistent biocides (e.g. isothiazolinones and pyrithiones) plays a pivotal role in particular. However, the tightening of regulatory measures governing DIY paints and the requirement to reduce the use of biocides to a minimum are proving to be ...