An organophilic clay was obtained by the intercalation of dioctadecyldimethylammonium ions into the interlayer space of a purified bentonite. The organophilic clay was characterized by its excellent whiteness, which originated from the used purified bentonite with a low content of colored impurities, suitable for its practical application in paints, cosmetics, polymer additives, etc. The dioctadecyldimethylammonium-bentonite clay was applied as a support to accommodate polyaromatic molecules to afford luminescent hybrids with high luminescence efficiency, showing its usefulness as a component of photofunctional hybrid materials.