TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The central element X in the alkoxides is silver, gold, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, iridium, manganese, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, strontium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium, tungsten, yttrium, zinc, zirconium, aluminum, boron, barium, lead, selenium, silicon or tin. The functionalized fullerenes: includes functionalized Buckminsterfullerene (C60); and is functionalized with an ester, amide, amine or acid functional group. The photoactive material includes at least one sub-layer of photo active material where each sub-layer is characterized by a different absorption band than the photoactive network filling material. The dopants include at least one fullerenes, at least one metal, at least one dye, pigment or other photoactive material.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Method: The method further comprises: (e) functionalizing a surface of the nanostructured network layer so that at least one hydroxy groups forms on it, where the step (e) includes exposing the surface to a base and then an acid; and (f) adding at least one dopant to the precursor sol. The step (d) includes: (d1) configuring the interfacial layer to differentially absorb light to extend a range of wavelengths that the active layer can absorb, where (d1) includes providing the interfacial layer with a photoactive material that is phase separated from a photoactive network filling material; and (d2) configuring the interfacial layer to enhance light absorption and/or charge injection from a light absorbing material to an electron transporting material in the active layer, where (d2) includes providing the interfacial layer with at least one dye or pigment. The forming of the nanostructured network layer uses templated growth technique including: disposing a precursor sol on a substrate, where the precursor sol includes at least one alkoxide with a central element X, at least one surfactant, at least one condensation inhibitor, water and a solvent; evaporating the solvent from the precursor sol to form a surfactant-templated porous film; and covalently crosslinking the surfactant-templated porous film to form the nanostructured network layer based on a compound of central element X. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.