Tetra-n-butylammonium per-ruthenate (Bun4N)(Ru04) and tetra-n-propylammonium per-ruthenate (Prn4N)(Ru04), with N-methylmorpholine N-oxide, function as mild catalytic oxidants for the high yield conversion of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones and are competitive with more conventional reagents.

Catalytic oxidation of the alcohols (VI), (VIII), and (XII) with the tetraalkylammonium tetraoxoruthenates(VII) (III) in the presence of N‐methylmorpholine N‐oxide as a co‐oxidant gives the aldehydes (VII) and (XIII) or the ketone (IX).

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