Pyridinium chlorochromate, a reddish orange solid reagent, is used to oxidize primary or secondary alcohols to aldehydes or ketones. Pyridinium chlorochromate, or PCC, will not fully oxidize the alcohol to the carboxylic acid as does the Jones reagent . A disadvantage to using PCC is that it is a toxic substance. A newer method of oxidizing alcohols using less toxic reagents has been introduced, called swern oxidation.