Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) has been used to perform in situ kinetic studies on the intercalation of a range of guest molecules in layered lattices. The kinetics of the intercalation of cations (K + , PyH + (Py=C 5 H 5 N), NMe 4 + ) and the long chain ammonium ions C 1 2 TMA, C 1 6 TMA, C 1 8 TMA (C 1 2 TMA=dodecyltrimethylammonium, C 1 6 TMA=hexadecyltrimethylammonium and C 1 8 TMA=octadecyltrimethylammonium) into crystals of MnPS 3 have been determined. These reactions are very fast, and in some cases novel transient phases are observed. The rate of cobaltocene, Co(η-C 5 H 5 ) 2 , intercalation in layered metal dichalcogenides ZrS 2 , 2H-SnS 2 , 2H-SnSe 2 , 2H-TaS 2 , 2H-NbS 2 , 1T-TaS 2 and TiS 2 has also been investigated. Integrated intensities of the Bragg reflections have been used to determine the extent of reaction (α) versus time for each of these reactions. A number of kinetic models have been considered, including the Avrami-Erofeyev (m=1.5) deceleratory nuclei-growth model and statistical simulation. The concentration and solvent dependence of the rate of Co(η-C 5 H 5 ) 2 intercalation into 2H-SnS 2 has also been determined. Surprisingly, we find that the rate of intercalation is invariant to the initial Co(η-C 5 H 5 ) 2 concentration over a wide concentration range. The rate of intercalation of the lithium salts (LiX; X=Cl, Br, NO 3 and OH) into Gibbsite (γ-Al(OH) 3 ) giving the layered double hydroxides [LiAl 2 (OH) 6 ]X.nH 2 O (X=Cl, Br, NO 3 and OH) and [LiAl 2 (OH) 6 ] 2 SO 4 .nH 2 O has been studied. The temperature dependence of the rate of intercalation of LiCl yields an activation energy of 27 kJ mol - 1 . The reaction was also found to be half order with respect to the initial concentration of LiCl. Time-resolved in situ energy dispersive X-ray powder diffraction (EDXRD) spectra have been recorded following the addition of an aqueous solution of hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (C 1 6 H 3 3 N + Me 3 Cl - =C 1 6 TMACl) to kanemite (NaHSi 2 O 5 .3H 2 O). The diffraction data suggest that initially a layered phase forms due to intercalation of the alkylammonium ions which then transforms into a silicate-organic mesophase which is the precursor to the hexagonal mesoporous silicate, FSM-16.