biostudies-literatureUnknown4Geng FCells can swell or shrink in certain solutions; however, no equivalent activity has been observed in inorganic materials. Although lamellar materials exhibit increased volume with increase in the lamellar period, the interlamellar expansion is usually limited to a few nanometres, with a simultaneous partial or complete exfoliation into individual atomic layers. Here we demonstrate a large monolithic crystalline swelling of layered materials. The gallery spacing can be instantly increased ~100-fold in one direction to ~90 nm, with the neighbouring layers separated primarily by H2O. The layers remain strongly held without peeling or translational shifts, maintaining a nearly perfect three-dimensional lattice structure of >3,000 layers. First-principle calculations yield a long-range directional structuring of the H2O molecules that may help to stabilize the highly swollen structure. The crystals can also instantaneously shrink back to their original sizes. These findings provide a benchmark for understanding the exfoliating layered materials.Nature communications1632https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC3615484biostudies-literatureUnusually stable ~100-fold reversible and instantaneous swelling of inorganic layered materials.PMC3615484Ma RAkatsuka KGeng FYamauchi YMiyamoto NTateyama YSasaki TEbina YNakamura AfalseUnusually stable ~100-fold reversible and instantaneous swelling of inorganic layered materials.Cells can swell or shrink in certain solutions; however, no equivalent activity has been observed in inorganic materials. Although lamellar materials exhibit increased volume with increase in the lamellar period, the interlamellar expansion is usually limited to a few nanometres, with a simultaneous partial or complete exfoliation into individual atomic layers. Here we demonstrate a large monolithic crystalline swelling of layered materials. The gallery spacing can be instantly increased ~100-fold in one direction to ~90 nm, with the neighbouring layers separated primarily by H2O. The layers remain strongly held without peeling or translational shifts, maintaining a nearly perfect three-dimensional lattice structure of >3,000 layers. First-principle calculations yield a long-range directional structuring of the H2O molecules that may help to stabilize the highly swollen structure. The crystals can also instantaneously shrink back to their original sizes. These findings provide a benchmark for understanding the exfoliating layered materials.2013-01-01T00:00:00Z20132021-02-21T08:38:34Z2019-03-27T01:06:53ZS-EPMC36154842353565310.1038/ncomms2641