Phosphate ceramics were synthesized using sol-gel technique of direct reaction of P2O5 With tetraethoxy silane (TEOS) or titanium tetraethoxide (Ti(OEt)(4)). The reaction mechanism of P2O5 and TEOS was deduced using liquid and solid-state NMR. Hexacoordinated silicon in phosphosilicate gels was observed. A specially structured titanium phosphate-layered Ti(HPO4)(2).2H(2)O was synthesized for the first time through the sol-gel method. The gelation process and phase transformations were investigated.