NOVELTY - A gel and/or powder of a metallic oxide, metalloid oxide and/or a mixed oxide or their resin from one or more respective organometallic liquid precursor(s) and/or organometalloid liquid precursor(s), is formed by oxidatively treating the liquid in a non-thermal equilibrium plasma discharge and/or an ionized gas stream resulting in the treatment of the liquid; and collecting the resulting product.    USE - The inventive method is for forming a gel and/or powder of metallic oxide, metalloid oxide and/or mixed oxide or their resin from one or more respective organometallic liquid precursor(s) or organometalloid liquid precursor(s). The metallic oxide, metalloid oxide, mixed oxide, and/or organometallic and/or organometalloid resin are used in optoelectronics, photonics, flexible electronics, optical devices, transparent electrically conductive films, displays, and solar cells or as thermally conductive fillers. (all claimed)    ADVANTAGE - The liquid precursor may be introduced into the plasma discharge or resulting stream in the absence of a carrier gas, i.e. it can be introduced directly by, e.g., direct injection, where the liquid precursors are injected directly into the plasma. The invention avoids the need for very high working temperatures and the need for the salts to be in a vaporous form. It is able to prepare silicone resins in a single step method from polymeric liquid precursors rather than from the usual monomeric precursors.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for an apparatus for making powders by the above method, comprising a generating mechanism for generating a non-thermal equilibrium plasma; and an atomizer (3) for introducing and/or retaining liquid precursors.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a plan view of an atmospheric pressure glow discharge apparatus where powdered particles are transported through a plasma region by gravity.    Parallel electrodes (2)    Atomizer (3)    Delivery mechanism (4)    Column (5)    Plasma region (6)