The present invention provides a process for preparing a thin film having alternating monolayers of a metal-metal bonded complex monolayer and an organic monolayer by layer-by-layer growth. The process comprises the steps of: (1) applying onto a surface of a substrate a first linker compound to produce a primer layer; (2) applying onto said primer layer a layer of a metal-metal bonded complex to produce a metal-metal bonded complex monolayer on said primer layer; (3) applying onto said metal-metal bonded complex monolayer a second linker compound; and optionally (4) sequentially repeating steps (2) and (3) at least once to produce said layer-by-layer grown thin film having alternating monolayers of a metal-metal bonded complex monolayer and an organic monolayer.