“…Smectite-type clay minerals are very versatile materials, which find industrial application in a broad range of activities such as adsorption, ion exchange, and catalysis , Thus, they can be dispersed in water, and clay mineral films are prepared by simple gravitational sedimentation processes. , Organic cations can be ion exchanged, giving the clay particles a hydrophobic character. ,, If one can control the ordering of these molecules on the surface and if the organization of the clay particles into films can be controlled too, then organized materials are obtained, which by proper choice of clay particles and molecules may exhibit unique electronic, optical, and electrochemical properties.…”