Lavender — soothing for the mind and saving the clean energy revolution
Soon, lavender’s scent won’t be the only reason it causes you to take a deep inhale. In addition to soothing your mind, it’s about to revolutionize the way we store clean energy.
Lithium-ion batteries are often used to store clean energy and power electric vehicles because they are cost-efficient and have a large storage capacity. However, they require lithium and cobalt, two elements that lead to mining operations that can pollute land and water, and often utilize child labor. Additionally, they’re difficult to recycle, often leading to landfill waste, and they require significant amounts of energy to produce.
Sodium-sulfur batteries are an alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Unlike lithium and cobalt, sodium and sulfur are abundant, easily obtained, and relatively easy to recycle. However, these batteries can’t store nearly as much energy as lithium-ion batteries, and their storage capacity is degraded even further after a few charging cycles. The challenge for scientists has been how to create a battery that has the benefits of lithium-ion batteries and sodium-sulfur batteries without the downsides of either. Lavender, or more specifically linalool, to the rescue!
Linalool is the compound responsible for lavender’s calming scent. (Linalool is also found in other plants such as basil, bay laurel, some cannabis strains, mint, cinnamon, citrus fruits, rosewood, guava, peach, plum, pineapple, and passionfruit.) A research team at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces led by Paolo Giusto found linalool interacts with sulfur to help sodium-sulfur batteries deliver more power and hold a better charge over hundreds of charging cycles.
“By taking a creative look at nature, we are finding solutions to many of the challenges posed by the energy transition, “ said Paolo Giusto.
Nature to the rescue, again. As a society, we need to recognize that nature is not something to by dominated by our egos, but rather a wider guide, teacher, and partner to help us improve the lives all beings while caring for the one planet we all share.