Heterolamellar photoelectrochemical films and devices

A photoelectrochemical device comprising a supporting substrate having on its surface a film, said film comprising:

• (i) two or more adjacent metal layers;
• said metal layers being disposed in substantially spaced, parallel relation to the substrate;
• (ii) organic pillars covalently joined to two of said adjacent metal layers, forming a layer of pillars;
• (iii) linking means binding said substrate to the metal layer closest to the substrate;
• wherein:
• each metal layer, independently of the other, comprises:
• a) atoms of a trivalent or tetravalent metal of Group III, IVA, IVB having an atomic number of at least 21 or atoms of a lanthanide, forming a cohesive layer;
• and,
• b) anions bound to the metal atoms such that the metal ions have an effective valence of from .sup.+ 1 to .sup.+ 6;
• said organic pillars are illustrated by the formula:
• --(Y.sup.1 O.sub.3 --Z--Y.sup.2 O.sub.3)-- p(X.sup.-q)
• each of Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2, independently of the other, is phosphorous or arsenic;
• Z is capable of alternating between a stable reduced form and a stable oxidized form, wherein Z may be different for each layer of pillars;
• X is an anion;
• p has a value of 0, 1, 2 or 3;
• and,
• q is the charge on X.

A method for producing electrical energy comprising exposing a photoelectrochemical device to light, wherein said photoelectrochemical device comprises a supporting substrate having on its surface a heterolamellar film, said film comprising:

• (i) a plurality of a complex of the formula:
• --L›(Y.sup.1 O.sub.3 --Z--Y.sup.2 O.sub.3)Me.sup.Y !.sub.k.k*p(X.sup.q-)
• wherein
• L is a linking means;
• each of Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2, independently of the other, is phosphorus or arsenic;
• Z is a divalent group which reversibly forms a stable reduced form and stable oxidized form;
• X is an anion;
• Me.sup.Y is Me.sup.1.sub.n W.sub.m, where
• Me.sup.1 is a divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent metal of Group III, IVA, or IVB having an atomic number of at least 21 or a lanthanide;
• W is an anion;
• n is 1, 2, or 3;
• m is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• k has a value of from 1 to about 250;
• p has a value of 0, 1, 2, or 3;
• and
• q is the charge on X,
• wherein each of Y.sup.1, Y.sup.2, Z, and Me.sup.1 may be different for each successive k layer;
• wherein each of said complexes is bound to said substrate through the linking means, L.