Swern oxidation

noun

A chemical reaction whereby a primary or secondary alcohol is oxidized to an aldehyde or ketone using oxalyl chloride, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and an organic base such as triethylamine.

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Meanings

nounSwern oxidation (plural Swern oxidations)

plural Swern oxidations

  1. chemistryA chemical reaction whereby a primary or secondary alcohol is oxidized to an aldehyde or ketone using oxalyl chloride, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and an organic base such as triethylamine.

Origin

Named after Daniel Swern.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Swern oxidation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Swern%20oxidation

MLA

“Swern oxidation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Swern%20oxidation. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Swern oxidation,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Swern%20oxidation.

Source: Swern oxidation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.