We present the gate-dependent photoconductivity measurements of single layer graphene ribbons grafted with zinc porphyrin molecules Zn(OEP). The Zn(OEP)-graphene showed a maximum 610% increase in its photo-sensitivity compared to the bare graphene samples. Furthermore, the measured photocurrent exhibited strong dependence on the gate bias, light power, and light wavelength. These dependences showed clear evidence of the excitation of the carriers in Zn(OEP) and their energy transfer to graphene.

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In this study, untethered nanotextured thermopneumatic soft actuators (UTPSAs) were developed using a soft elastomer body encapsulating a volatile fluid (Novec 7000), which underwent a phase change (evaporation) when stimuli that convert energy into heat were applied using wireless transmission. Herein, we analyzed three types of stimuli: (i) thermal blowing, (ii) irradiation with infrared light, and (iii) electromagnetic energy transmission. In the third case, an electromagnetic field induced an electric current in a wire coil embedded in an elastomeric body, thus providing Joule heating to induce fluid evaporation. The bending curvature and force generated during bending were examined under various operational conditions, which enable one to select the optimal operating mechanism of UTPSAs for a specific environment. Specifically, diverse operating capabilities of UTPSAs are expected to be useful in dynamic environments, e.g., rescue situations. In addition, as a potential application, a crawler-configured UTPSA was fabricated, and its operation was demonstrated.