Researchers from National Taiwan University have developed an artificial muscle made from onion cells, which is capable to bend in different directions.

 "The initial goal was to develop an engineered micro-structure in artificial muscles for increasing the actuation deformation (the amount the muscle can bend or stretch when triggered)," said lead researcher Wen-Pin Shih.

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The onion epidermis is the fragile skin found beneath the onion surface. It is a thin, translucent layer of blocky cells arranged in a tightly-packed lattice.

Shih, along with his colleagues, has thought that using an onion epidermal cell is a good choice. The group has taken a single layer of epidermal cells that are fresh; they peeled the onion and washed it with clean water.

Researchers freeze-dried the onion and remove the water while leaving its cell walls intact. The process is believed to help turn the microstructure rigid and brittle and that they have treated the onion with acid to remove a cell-stiffening protein that is called “hemicelluslose” and help restore elasticity.

Onion layers were made to move like muscles and turn them into an electrostatic actuator. The layers were coated with gold electrodes which help conduct current. The 24 nanometers on top and 50 nanometers on the bottom of gold was applied that helps create the cells more flexible and can be stretched in many ways.

In the end, durability is considered as the main concern. The gold plating does help protect the onion muscles, but moisture is still a problem as it can penetrate through the cell walls and might affect and change the material properties.

TagsOnion Cells Can be an Artificial Muscle Study Reveals, onion, onion cells, muscle, durability