A semi-transparent coating material for coating glass or glass ceramics includes at least one sol-gel hybrid-polymer coating system having a hybrid-polymer or inorganic sol-gel-based matrix, and nanoparticles and nanoscale pigments and/or dyes are added to the hybrid-polymer or inorganic sol-gel-based matrix.

An object is to provide a structural body having high light transmissivity and a high degree of freedom in shape, a manufacturing method for the structural body, and a precursor composition used in the manufacturing method.

A structural body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of nanoparticles, the plurality of nanoparticles being directly covalent-bonded to each other without interposing an additive component other than the plurality of nanoparticles.

Disclosed herein is a method of forming a glass coating including making a sol by hydrolyzing an organosilane in the presence of a least one solvent and at least one catalyst, further adding at least one alkoxysilane, and aging the sol for at least 24 hours.