We report on a versatile method for the de-intercalation of Na from alpha-NaFeO2 by using water to produce alpha-Na1-xFeO2, where x approximate to 1. This de-intercalation technique provides an excellent route to ion exchange Na with other metal ions in alpha-NaFeO2. The hydrolysis mechanism is provided. We show that the extracted solution captures CO2 from the atmosphere leading to the formation of sodium hydrogen carbonate hydrate crystals. The lamellar structure of the hydrate crystals was confirmed by powder Xray diffraction, and were found Na-deficient via elemental analysis. Intercalation of guest molecules such as polymers, alcohols, and inorganic ions into the gallery space of the newly formed sodium hydrogen carbonate hydrate crystals was demonstrated by the use of powder X-ray diffraction technique. The reported materials were also characterized by Mossbauer spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.