Provided herein is a method for producing an ionizable lipid that comprises: (i) reacting fatty esters in a Claisen condensation reaction in the presence of a catalyst, the Claisen condensation employing a weak base and carried out at a temperature of between −10 and 60 degrees Celsius to produce a ketoester; (ii) reacting the ketoester produced in step (i) under conditions to produce a ketone from the ketoester in one or more steps via a hydrolysis and decarboxylation of the ketoester; and (iii) preparing the ionizable lipid from the ketone thereof using one or more synthesis steps resulting in an addition of an ionizable head group moiety to (a) the ketone; or (b) an alcohol produced from an optional reduction of the ketone to produce the alcohol, thereby producing the ionizable lipid. The ionizable lipid produced in step (iii) may be formulated in a drug delivery vehicle.