Scientists have accidentally discovered a way to reverse the combustion process, turning carbon dioxide back into a fuel.

Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US used complex nanotechnology techniques to turn the dissolved gas into ethanol.

Because the materials used are relatively cheap, they believe the process could be used in industrial processes, for example to store excess electricity generated by wind and solar power.

The researchers had hoped the technnique would turn carbon dioxide into methanol, but ethanol came out instead.

Dr Adam Rondinone, lead author of a paper about the work published in the journal ChemistrySelect, said: “We’re taking carbon dioxide, a waste product of combustion, and we’re pushing that combustion reaction backwards with very high selectivity to a useful fuel.

Read more at The Independent.