Photovoltaic devices fabricated from insulating nanostructured template

A photovoltaic device, comprising:

• a base electrode;
• a top electrode;
• an insulating nanostructured template disposed between the base electrode and top electrode, wherein the nanostructured template in made of an insulating material, the nanostructured template having template elements between about 1 nm and about 500 nm in diameter with an elements density of between about 1012 elements /m2 and about 1016 elements/m2;
• a first charge-transfer material coating the insulating nanostructured template in a way that leaves additional space;
• and
• a second charge-transfer material in the additional space such that the first and second charge-transfer materials are volumetrically interdigitated, wherein a conduction band or lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the first charge-transfer material differs from a conduction band or LUMO of the second charge-transfer material by more than about 0.2 eV, wherein an absorbance of at least one charge transfer material is greater than about 103/cm at the peak of absorbance.

A method for making a photovoltaic device, comprising:

• forming an insulating nanostructured template having template elements between about 1 nm and about 500 nm in diameter with a pore density of between about 1012 elements/m2 and about 1016 elements/m2;
• coating one or more walls of the template elements with a first charge-transfer material in a way that leaves additional space;
• and
• filling the additional space with a second charge-transfer material such that the first and second charge-transfer materials volumetrically interdigitate, wherein the second charge-transfer material has complementary charge-transfer properties with respect to the first charge-transfer material, wherein a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) or conduction band of the first charge-transfer material differs from a LUMO or conduction band of the second charge-transfer material by more than about 0.2 eV, wherein an absorbance of at least one charge transfer material is greater than about 103/cm at a peak of absorbance.