The discovery of the several zirconium phosphates, a-, b-, g-, Θ, d- phases and their respective structures will be presented. The vast intercalation, exfoliation, and chemistry based upon these structures will be briefly described. The synthesis of layered phosphonates and particularly porous cross-linked materials will be presented from the viewpoint of their nano-sized particles and growth characteristics. The talk will be concluded with potential future developments and applications.