Nanostructured layers, method of making nanostructured layers, and application thereof

1. A method of making a nanostructure layer, the method comprising:

synthesizing a first, a second, and a third population of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, wherein volatile organic molecules are used as capping ligands during the synthesizing;

mixing the first, second, and third populations together to form a mixture of quantum dots, wherein the mixture comprises a solvent and an excess of precursors of at least one of the first, the second and the third population of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals;

depositing the mixture of quantum dots onto a lower electrode;

assembling ordered quantum dot arrays on the lower electrode layer by slow precipitation of the quantum dots through controlled evaporation of the solvent from the mixture of quantum dots;

removing the volatile organic molecules from the surfaces of the quantum dots;

reacting the excess precursors within interstitial spaces between the assembled quantum dots in order to deposit semiconductor material between the assembled quantum dots through a thermal heating process; and,

sintering the assembled quantum dots on the lower electrode together to form a contiguous low defect nanostructured film capable of absorbing light, separating charge carriers, and transporting the charge carriers to an opposite electrode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing the sintered nanostructured film with compounds to intercalate into voids within the film.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the compounds are hydrazine or bidentate amines.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the mixture on the substrate includes spraying, printing, dip coating, or spin coating.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volatile organic molecules are pyridine, short chain amines, acetates, oxalate, picolinic acid, or chlorides.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first population and second population is approximately 1:1.