This paper describes the effects of some polar organic additives on the sol-gel processing of organodisilicate and silica precursors. For a range of organic additives investigated, those for which molecular stacking is a feature of the crystal structure (type A) promote extensive fragmentation of organosilicate and silica xerogels into thin plates and small (∼1 mm diameter) granules during the final drying stages. Two organic additives that do not exhibit such stacking (type B) were investigated, these did not promote such fragmentation, and the organic additive-treated monoliths were formed. Sol-gel mixtures investigated with type A organic additives include: 1,4-bis(Cl 3 SiCH 2 ) 2 C 6 H 4 and organic additives transcinnamic acid (TCA), crotonic acid, or benzoic acid; 1,4-bis[(n-BuO) 3 SiCH 2 )] 2 C 6 H 4 and m-nitroaniline; 1,4-bis[(EtO) 3 Si]C 6 H 4 and [(EtO) 4 Si] with trans-cinnamic acid. Sol-gel mixtures containing type B organic additives investigated were 1,4-bis(Cl 3 SiCH 2 ) 2 C 6 H 4 and the organic additives phenol or pinacol; 1,4-bis[(EtO) 3 Si]C 6 H 4 or (EtO) 4 Si with PhOH. The additives may be removed by extraction of the xerogel materials with THF. The effects of tetrahydrofuran solutions of types A and B additives on monolithic additive-free organosilicate xerogels and silica gels is also reported. The materials have been variously studied by SEM(EDAX), XRD, 29 Si solid-state NMR, and 13 C solid-state NMR. The THF-extracted products were studied by nitrogen sorption porosimetry. BET measurements on THF extracted materials showed that type A additives generally gave low surface area materials while type B additives gave high surface area materials. 29 Si solid-state NMR and BET measurements revealed nonsystematic effects of TCA loading on local chemical structure and surface area, respectively.