Novel hollow microspheres of hierarchical zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxides and their enhanced adsorption capacity for phosphate in water

► Hierarchical Zn-Al LDHs hollow microspheres were first synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method using urea as precipitating agent. ► The morphology of Zn-Al LDHs can be tailored from irregular platelet to hollow microspheres by simply varying concentrations of urea. ► The as-prepared samples exhibit high adsorption capacity (54.1-232 mg/g) for phosphate from aqueous solution.