Abstract In the absence of an oxidant, tetrapropylammonium perruthenate (TPAP) is reduced by 2-undecanol to a low-valent ruthenium species that efficiently catalyzes the isomerization of a wide range of allylic alcohols into the corresponding saturated carbonyl derivatives [Eq.(1)]. R 1, R 2, R 3, R 4= alkyl, aryl, H.