Since Dr. Disiich of Germany prepared a glass lens by the sol-gel method around 1970, sol-gel science and technology has continued to develop. Since then this field has seen remarkable technical developments as well as a broadening of the applications of sol-gel science and technology. There is a growing need for a comprehensive reference that treats both the fundamentals and the applications, and this is the aim of Handbook of Sol-Gel Science and Technology. The primary purpose of sol-gel science and technology is to produce materials, active and non-active including optical, electronic, chemical, sensor, bio- and structural materials. This means that sol-gel science and technology is related to all kinds of manufacturing industries. Thus Volume 1, Sol-Gel Processing, is devoted to general aspects of processing. Newly developed materials such as organic-inorganic hybrids, photonic crystals, ferroelectric coatings, photocatalysts will be covered. Topics in this volume include: + Synthesis and reaction of sol-gel precursors, + Preparation of bulk glass and ceramics, + Processing of porous materials based on self-organization, + Synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid materials, + Coating of plastics, + Special processes used in sol-gel formation of materials (1. Non-hydrolytic sol-gel process, 2. Sonogels, and 3. UV irradiation).