The rates of the topotactic reactions between gamma-zirconium phosphate and phenylphosphonic acid in water and water-acetone mixtures at various temperatures were investigated. The slow rates of the process in aqueous medium or in water-acetone mixtures at temperatures lower than 50 degrees C were attributed to a slow interdiffusion of O(2)P(OH)(2)(-) and O(2)P(OH)(C(6)H(5))(-) groups in the interlayer region of gamma-ZrP. Similar to ion-exchange processes, the replacement begins in the external part of the interlayer region and progresses toward the central region with the formation of an advancing phase boundary. In water-acetone mixtures at temperatures higher than 60 degrees C an exfoliation of gamma-ZrP was found. Thus, the initial process is very fast since the substitution can take place directly on the surface of the exfoliated gamma-lamellae. However, after a certain degree of substitution, a flocculation of the colloidal dispersion, which slows down the rate of the further topotactic substitution, was observed. Some considerations on the topotactic substitution occurring on the surface of the exfoliated lamellae and on the mechanism of the diffusion of the exchanging species in the interlayer region are also reported.