A variety of spray pyrolysis (SP) techniques have been developed to directly produce ceramic powders from solutions. Examples that are discussed include the following powders: (La0.8Sr0.2)(0.9)MnO3-YSZ (La(Sr)MnO3-YSZ), La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 (La(Sr)CoO3), (CeO2)(0.8)(SmO1.5)(0.2)-NiO (SDC-NiO) and La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-NiO (LSGM-NiO). For all these powders, spherical, non-agglomerated, submicrometer particles were obtained from aqueous solution of metal salts into a furnace using an ultrasonic atomizer at 1.7 MHz. After SP some of the particles exhibit a hollow-shell morphology. Subsequent calcination at 1000 degrees C yielded crystalline particles. The electrical performance of Ni-SDC/LSGM/La(Sr)CoO3 fuel cells operating at 800 degrees C, prepared from the powders obtained by SP, is reported.