Stable composite films that contain layered double hydroxide (LDH) are appealing materials but are also difficult to prepare. We report here a facile strategy for the fabrication of covalently cross-linked layer-by-layer multilayers that incorporate LDH. The films were first prepared using the traditional LbL method based on non-covalent interactions, followed by infiltration of a photoactive small molecule DAS. UV light was then used to cross-link the multilayers. The stability of the cross-linked film was remarkably enhanced. Furthermore, the release profile of incorporated molecules from layered double hydroxide was significantly delayed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.