Silica nanoparticles are important materials having potential applications in catalytic supports due to high surface areas which is desirable for catalytic support providing more active sites for gas/solid interactions. Morphology of nanosized amorphous silica powders provides improved mechanical, electrical, and other new potential properties. Highly porous silica powders with high surface area can also be used as insulating materials for microelectronic packaging since silica has a relatively low dielectric constant among inorganic oxides. Technologically important nanoparticles have been produced by various methods such as sol-gel synthesis, flame synthesis, and other aerosol processes using different energy sources such as laser or thermal plasma. The main industrial route to these powders involves a pyrolytic reaction of oxygen and an inorganic precursor such as silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) at high temperature greater than 1000 °C which limits the surface area to below 400 m2/g due to sintering of the particles and pressures up to 10 atm.