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Our work demonstrates the formation of nanoscale cavities in clay which is correlated with partial exfoliation, caused by the amino acid GABA. The findings of this study exemplify that irreversible structural changes in clay are induced by interaction with a meteorite-common, non-proteinogenic, weakly-interacting species that is not expected to undergo polymerisation, but instead creates 3D nanocompartments.

This sheds a new light on the possible significance of off-world organics, which possess a relatively high abundance of GABA and other exotic amino acids. It also demonstrates the need to revisit the role of clays beyond the synthesis of life’s building blocks, and explore their role in prebiotic compartmentalisation.

Apart from the field of origin of life, the unique exfoliant behaviour uncovered in this work introduces sustainable clay alteration possibilities for various applications in environmental, material and surface sciences. These include, among others; layered crystal engineering, toxic waste storage/management, soil treatment, development of Van-der-Waals heterostructures and diverse applications in the emerging field of nanogeochemistry.