Experimental and numerical study on suitable diesel fuel surrogates in low temperature combustion conditions

► Toluene has larger effects on ignition delay at lower intake oxygen concentrations. ► NOx, HC and CO emissions were identical for tested fuels except the low intake oxygen concentration case for HC and CO. ► The choice of surrogates has large effects on smoke emission between 16% and 11% intake oxygen concentrations. ► Addition of 1-hexene retarded ignition and increased the C2H2 and soot at lower intake oxygen concentrations. ► TRF20/1-hexene mixture (95/5vv) matches well to diesel at both conventional and LTC conditions.