Many important industrial objectives require the development of ceramics with specific properties. It is now established that the development of ceramics demands the control of their composition at the atomic scale, as well as the nanostructuration of the materials. A nanostructural design, a control of their composition and shapes and therefore a systematic optimisation of their properties, are beyond the possibilities of the traditional high-temperature synthesis methods via solid-state reactions. This book examines the concept known as the Precursor-Derived Ceramics (PDCs) route, which offers new preparation opportunities in chemistry and ceramic sciences and plays a major role in the preparation of ceramics endowed with properties that reach far beyond those of existing materials.