Method of carbon chain extension using novel aldol reaction

Method of producing C 8 -C 15 hydrocarbons comprising providing a ketone starting material; providing an aldol starting material comprising hydroxymethylfurfural; mixing the ketone starting material and the aldol starting material in a reaction in the presence of a proline-containing catalyst selected from the group consisting of Zn(Pro) 2 , Yb(Pro) 2 , and combinations thereof, or a catalyst having one of the structures (I), (II) or (III), and in the presence of a solvent, wherein the solvent comprises water and is substantially free of organic solvents, where (I), (II) and (III) respectively are: where R 1 is a C 1 -C 6 alkyl moiety, X=(OH) and n= 2 . In (III), X may be CH 2 , sulfur or selenium, M may be Zn, Mg, or a lanthanide, and R 1 and R 2 each independently may be a methyl, ethyl, phenyl moiety.