Carboxylic acid-protruding zincophosphate sheets exhibiting surface mechanochemical reactivity and intriguing nano-morphological reversibility.

For the first time, functional carboxylic acid (-COOH) groups protruding on both sides of zincophosphate sheets are prepared, leading to a unique surface-active lamellar material characterized by modifiable wettability via a facile mechanochemical reaction. The interior -COOH groups lead to high thermal stability unusual to hybrid-layer structures and undergo the intriguingly reversible nano-morphological transformation never unveiled in metal oxysalts before.