Photolatent DBN derivatives were shown to be suitable catalysts for the in-situ preparation of novel organic-inorganic hybrid coatings. The formulations are based on organic resins crosslinked by a Michael reaction between acetoacetate modified oligomers and acrylic components, and an inorganic precursor undergoing a base-catalyzed sol gel reaction. The size of the inorganic nanoparticles can be controlled by the addition of suitable coupling agents, thus allowing the design of hybrid coatings with optimized mechanical properties such as scratch resistance. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.