text: For single cation systems like SiO and TiO, hydrolysis and condensation processes naturally give rise to homogenous compositions. For systems involving multiple cations, such as strontium titanate, SrTiO and other perovskite systems, the concept of steric immobilisation becomes relevant. To avoid the formation of multiple phases of binary oxides as the result of differing hydrolysis and condensation rates, the entrapment of cations in a polymer network is an effective approach, generally termed the Pechini process. In this process, a chelating agent is used, most often citric acid, to surround aqueous cations and sterically entrap them. Subsequently, a polymer network is formed to immobilize the chelated cations in a gel or resin. This is most often achieved by poly-esterification using ethylene glycol. The resulting polymer is then combusted under oxidising conditions to remove organic content and yield a product oxide with homogeneously dispersed cations.