Swern oxidation
Named reactionOxidation
In organic chemistry, the Swern oxidation also known as Moffatt–Swern, named after Daniel Swern, is a chemical reaction whereby a primary or secondary alcohol (−OH) is oxidized to an aldehyde (−CH=O) or ketone (>C=O) using oxalyl chloride, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and an organic base, such as triethylamine. It is one of the many oxidation reactions commonly referred to as 'activated DMSO' oxidations. The reaction is known for its mild character and wide tolerance of functional groups.