NOVELTY - A compound (C1) selected from substituted 1,2-di-furan-2-yl-ethanone compound, and substituted 1,2-di(furan-2-yl)ethane compound is new.    USE - For preparing (8-22C)alkane (claimed); for upgrading biomass furaldehydes and related compound to useful chemical intermediates and liquid fuels; and in catalytic processes for converting carbohydrates and biomass-derived carbohydrates and byproducts into liquid, and long-chain alkanes in the higher mass ranges (i.e. 10-22C) that can be used e.g. as sulfur-free fuel components and as other valuable chemicals and intermediates.    ADVANTAGE - The compound (C1) produces (10-22C)alkane with at least 90% selectivity. The compound (C1) not only provides a route for using renewable biomass resources to diminish the reliance on petroleum-based liquid fuels, but it also provides a fuel with a specific range of carbon-atom chain lengths without the use of refining techniques. This latter feature makes the methods especially attractive for producing alkane mixtures having defined characteristics, such as jet fuel, where specific physical properties are required (e.g. high energy density with narrow molecular weight distribution), that are unattainable with current biofuels.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A compound (C1) selected from substituted 1,2-di-furan-2-yl-ethanone compound of formula (I), and substituted 1,2-di(furan-2-yl)ethane compound of formula (II) is new.    R1, R'1 and R'2=H, OH, halo, amine, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkoxy, or acyloxy;    R2=OH, halo, amine, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkoxy, or acyloxy.    Provided that at least one R1 is not H. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) a composition comprising the compounds (I) and (10-22C)alkanes;    (2) an organocatalytic method (M1) to couple a first furaldehyde compound and a second aldehyde involving contacting a first furaldehyde and a second furaldehyde in the presence of an ionic liquid under conditions, where the ionic liquid forms an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), or contacting a first furaldehyde and a second furaldehyde in the presence of a discrete NHC, to provide a compound that comprises a (10-12C)furoin moiety; and    (3) preparing (M2) (8-22C)alkane involving contacting the compound (I) (where R1 is H, OH, alkoxy, or acyloxy; and R2 is OH, alkoxy, or acyloxy); or the compound (II) (where R'1 is H, OH, alkoxy, or acyloxy; and R'2 is H, OH, alkoxy, or acyloxy) with a bifunctional catalyst systems that comprises palladium or platinum metal and an acidic moiety under reaction conditions comprising heat and H2 pressure in water.