A new kind of polytitanosilazane (PTSZ) precursor for Si/C/N/Ti-based ceramic was synthesized from the condensation reaction of silazane lithium salts and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4). Titanium in the precursors was bonded to silazane compounds in the Si-N-Ti bond. The obtained PTSZs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and elemental analyses. The PTSZs were pyrolyzed at 900 to 1300 degreesC under nitrogen, argon, and ammonia atmosphere, respectively, to give amorphous inorganic products. The results indicated that ceramic yields of PTSZs were much higher than that of their corresponding silazane oligomers and ceramic yields increased with the increase in Ti content in PTSZs. Precursors containing reactive vinyl groups gave higher pyrolytic yields. The pyrolytic yield under ammonia is lower than that under nitrogen and argon. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.