
We have been focussed on inventing methods and tools to enhance the synthesis process; in particular, how we can use machines to greatly assist molecular assembly in general. This machine assisted approach has been the cornerstone of our research programmes for the last thirty years. Beginning with the power of using immobilized systems to facilitate the clean multistep preparation of functional molecules avoiding conventional work-up procedures – this approach has led us to pioneer the development of continuous processing methods and flow chemistry. These developments have led to a paradigm shift in how synthesis is conducted today, helping to deliver a more sustainable and robust machine assisted approach to how we make our compounds.
Flow chemistry is the tool of choice to address many of these aims.
Recent Related Group Reviews (2013-2014)
[XXX] Numbers in green reference the order of publication as listed in Steve Ley's CV.
- Continuous flow synthesis enabling reaction discovery (2024) [907]
- Formation and Utility of Reactive Ketene Intermediates Under Continuous Flow Conditions (2021) [894]
- Living with our machines: Towards a more sustainable future (2020) [890]
- A tutored discourse on microcontrollers, single board computers and their applications to monitor and control chemical reactions (2020) [886]
- A New World for Chemical Synthesis? (2019) [883]
- Immobilised Reagents and Multistep Processes (2018) [871]
- Engineering Chemistry to Enable Bioactive Small Molecule Discovery (2018) [869]
- Engineering chemistry for the future of organic synthesis (2018) [865]
- Taming Hazardous Chemistry by Continuous Flow Technology (2016) [835]
- Enabling Technologies for the Future of Chemical Synthesis (2016) [829]
- Machine-Assisted Organic Synthesis (2015) [818]
- Flow Chemistry: Intelligent Processing of Gas-Liquid Transformations Using a Tube-in-Tube Reactor (2015) [803]
- Organic Synthesis: March of the Machines (2015) [805]
- Chemistry in a Changing World (2015) [806]
- Flow Chemistry Meets Advanced Functional Materials (2014) [792]
- Camera Enabled Techniques for Organic Synthesis (2013) [764]
- Flow Chemistry Syntheses of Natural Products (2013) [734]
Key early flow chemistry publications (2000- 2010)
- Multistep Organic Synthesis using Solid Supported Reagents and Scavengers: A New Paradigm in Chemical Library Generation S.V. Ley, I.R. Baxendale, R.N. Bream, P.S. Jackson, A.G. Leach, D.A. Longbottom, M. Nesi, J.S. Scott, R.I. Storer and S.J. Taylor, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 2000, 3815. [424]
- The Development and Application of Supported Reagents for Multi-step Organic Synthesis S.V. Ley and I.R. Baxendale in ‘Supported Catalysts and their Applications’, Ed. D.C. Sherrington and A.P. Kybett, The Royal Society of Chemistry Proceedings, 2001, 9. [430]
- New Tools and Concepts in Modern Organic Synthesis S.V. Ley and I.R. Baxendale, Nature Reviews, 2002, 1, 573. [463]
- Efficient Batch and Continuous Flow Suzuki Cross-Coupling Reactions under Mild Conditions, Catalysed by Polyurea-encapsulated Palladium(II)acetate and Tetra-n-butylammonium Salts C.K.Y. Lee, A.B. Holmes, S.V. Ley, I.F. McConvey, B. Al-Duri, G.A. Leeke, R.C.D. Santos and J.P.K. Seville, J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commum., 2005, 2175-2177. [562]
- A Highly Automated, Polymer-Assisted Strategy for the Preparation of 2-Alkylthiobenzimidazoles and N,N’-Dialkylbenzimidazolin-2-ones E. Vickestaffe, B.H. Warrington, M. Ladlow and S.V. Ley, J. Combinatorial Chem., 2005, 7, 385-397. [567]
- The use of a Continuous Flow-Reactor Employing a Mixed Hydrogen-Liquid Flow Stream for the Efficient Reduction of Imines to Amines S. Saaby, K.R. Knudsen, M. Ladlow and S.V. Ley, J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 2005, 2909-2911. Early use of the H-Cube [571]
- Preparation of the Neolignan Natural Product Grossamide by a Continuous Flow Process I.R. Baxendale, C.M. Griffiths-Jones, S.V. Ley and G.K. Tranmer, Synlett 2006, 427-430. [585]
- Microwave Assisted Suzuki Coupling Reactions with an Encapsulated Palladium Catalyst for Batch and Continuous Flow Transformations I.R. Baxendale, C.M. Griffiths-Jones, S.V. Ley and G. Tranmer, Chem. Eur. J. 2006, 12, 4407-4416. [593]
- A Flow Process for the Multi-Step Synthesis of the Alkaloid Natural Product Oxomaritidine: A New Paradigm for Molecular Assembly I.R. Baxendale, J. Deeley, C.M. Griffiths-Jones, S.V. Ley, S. Saaby and G. Tranmer, J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 2006, 2566-2568. Early use of the Syrris Africa flow system [595]
- A Fully Automated Continuous Flow Synthesis of 4,5-Disbustituted Oxaxoles M. Baumann, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, C.D. Smith and G.K. Tranmer, Org. Lett. 2006, 8, 5231-5234. Early use of the Vapourtec R4 and other equipment [604]
- A Flow Reactor Process for the Synthesis of Peptides Utilizing Immobilised Reagents, Scavengers and Catch and Release Protocols, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, C.D. Smith and G.K. Tranmer, J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 2006, 4835-4837. [605]
- [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of Acetylenes with Azides to give 1,4-Disubstituted 1,2,3- Triazoles in a Modular Flow Reactor C.D. Smith, I.R. Baxendale, S. Lanners, J.J. Hayward, S.C. Smith and S.V. Ley, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2007, 5, 1559-1561. [615]
- A Fully Automated Flow-Through Synthesis of Secondary Sulfonamides in a Binary Reactor System C.M. Griffiths-Jones, M.D. Hopkin, D. Jönssen, S.V. Ley, D.J. Tapolczay, E. Vickerstaffe and M. Ladlow, J. Comb. Chem. 2007, 9, 422-430. [617]
- Continuous Flow Ligand-Free Heck Reactions Using Monolithic Pd[0] Nanoclusters N. Nikbin, M. Ladlow, S.V. Ley, Org. Proc. Res. Dev., 2007, 11, 458-462. [619]
- Flow and Batch Mode Focused Microwave Synthesis of 5-Amino-4-cyanopyrazoles and their further conversion to 4-Aminopyrazolopyrimidines C.J. Smith, J. Iglesias-Sigüenza, I.R. Baxendale and S.V. Ley, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2007, 5, 2758-2761. [629]
- Microwave Reactions Under Continuous Flow Conditions I.R. Baxendale, J.J. Hayward and S.V. Ley, Comb. Chem. High T.Scr. 2007, 10, 802-836. [634]
- A Modular Flow Reactor for Performing Curtius Rearrangements as a Continuous Flow Process M. Baumann, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, N. Nikbin, C.D. Smith and J.P. Tierney, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2008, 6, 1577-1586. [646]
- Azide Monoliths as Convenient Flow Reactors for Efficient Curtius Rearrangement ReactionsM. Baumann, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, N. Nikbin and C.D. Smith, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2008, 6, 1587-1593. [647]
- A Bifurcated Pathway to Thiazoles and Imidazoles Using a Modular Flow Microreactor I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, C.D. Smith, L. Tamborini and A.F. Voica, J. Combinatorial Chem., 2008, 10, 851-857. [658]
- New Tools for Molecule Makers: Emerging Technologies S.V. Ley and I.R. Baxendale. Eds. M. Hicks and C. Kettner. Proc. of the Beilstien Symposium on Systems Chemistry, Bozen, Italy ISBN 978-8325-2188-2, 2009, 65-85. [665]
- MultiStep Synthesis using Modular Flow Reactors: Bestmann-Ohira Reagent for the Formation of Alkynes and Triazoles I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, A.C. Mansfield, C.D. Smith, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 4017-4021. [669]
- A Microfluidic Flow Chemistry Platform for Organic Synthesis: the Hofmann RearrangementA. Palmieri, S.V. Ley, K. Hammond, A. Polyzos and I.R. Baxendale, Tetrahedron Lett. 2009, 50, 3287-3289. [670]
- Continuous Flow Based Catch and Release Protocol for the Synthesis of alpha-Ketoesters A. Palmieri, S.V. Ley, A. Polyzos, M. Ladlow and I.R. Baxendale, Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 23. [671]
- Development of Fluorination Methods using Continuous-Flow Microreactors M. Baumann, I.R. Baxendale, L.J. Martin, S.V. Ley, Tetrahedron 2009, 65, 6611-6625. [674]
- Synthesis of Acetal Protected Building Blocks using Flow Chemistry and Flow I.R. Methods: Preparation of Butane 2, 3- Diacetal Tartrates C.F. Carter, I.R. Baxendale, M. O’Brien, J.B.J. Pavey, S.V. Ley, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2009, 7, 4594. [678]
- Multi-step synthesis using modular flow reactors: the preparation of yne-ones and their use in heterocycle synthesis I.R. Baxendale, S.C. Schou, J. Sedelmeier, S.V. Ley, Chem. Eur. J. 2010, 16, 89-94. [681]
- A flowprocess using microreactors for the preparation of a quinolone derivative as a potent 5HTIB antagonist Z. Qian, I. R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, Synlett, 2010, 505-508. [683]
- The continuous flow synthesis of butane 2,3-diacetal protected building blocks using microreactors C.F. Carter, I.R. Baxendale, J.B.J. Pavey, S.V. Ley, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2010, 8, 1588-1595. [684]
- The continuous flow synthesis of butane 2,3-diacetal protected building blocks using microreactors C.F. Carter, I.R. Baxendale, J.B.J. Pavey, S.V. Ley, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2010, 8, 1588-1595. [685]
- ReactIR™ flow cell: a new analytical tool for continuous flow chemistry processing C.F. Carter, H. Lange, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, J. Goode, N. Gaunt, B. Wittkamp, Org. Proc. Res. Dev. 2010, 14, 393-404. [686]
- An automated flow-based synthesis of imatinib: the API of gleevec M.D. Hopkin, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, J.C.S. Chem. Commun. 2010, 46, 2450-2452. [687]
- Flow ozonolysis using a semi-permeable Teflon™ AF-2400 membrane to effect gas-liquid contact M. O’Brien, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, Org. Lett. 2010, 12, 1596-1598. [688]
- Application of flow chemistry microreactors in the preparation of casein kinase I inhibitors F. Venturoni, N. Nikbin, S.V. Ley, I.R. Baxendale, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2010, 8, 1798-1806. [689]
- Multiple microcapillary reactor for organic synthesis C.H. Hornung, B. Hallmark, M. Baumann, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, P. Hester, P. Clayton, M.R. Mackley, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2010,49, 4576-4582. [690]
- A palladium wall coated microcapillary reactor for use in continuous flow transfer hydrogenation C.H. Hornung, B. Hallmark, M.R. Mackley, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, Adv. Synth. Catal. 2010, 352, 1736-1745. [693]
- KMnO4 mediated oxidation as a continuous flow process J. Sedelmeier, S.V. Ley, I.R. Baxendale, M. Baumann, Org. Lett., 2010, 12, 3618-3621. [695]
- Preparation of arylsulfonyl chlorides by chlorosulfonylation of in situ generated diazonium salts using a continuous flow reactor L. Malet-Sanz, J. Madrzak, S.V. Ley, I.R. Baxendale, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2010, 8, 5324-5332. [699]
- A continuous flow process using a sequence of microreactors with in-line IR analysis of the preparation of N, N-diethyl-4-(3-fluorophenylpiperidin-4-ylidenemethyl) benzamide as a potent and highly selective δ-opioid receptor agonist Z. Qian, I.R. Baxendale, S.V. Ley, Chem. Eur. J. 2010, 16, 12342-12348. [700]