A fuel for an internal combustion engine includes a C5 to C30 dialkoxyalkanoate corresponding to formula (I):




wherein the R1 group is —H or a —CH3 group, the R2 and R2′ groups are alkyl groups independently selected to have 1 to 9 carbon atoms; and the R3 group is selected to have 1 to 9 carbon atoms. The compounds described herein may be used as neat fuels or mixed fuels (with diesel, biodiesel, jet fuel, marine fuel or other fuel compounds) in autoignition or spark ignition engines, such as diesel engines, gasoline (spark ignition) engines, MCCI, Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines, or more generally in Low-Temperature Gasoline Combustion (LTGC) engines (using gasoline-like fuels), that have the high-efficiency advantages of HCCI but can operate with some level of charge inhomogeneities. Methods of making these compounds are environmentally friendly and can be done in a continuous manner.