Professor Steve Ley CBE FRS FMedSci

Director of Research

In the Ley Group, we specialise in developing new synthesis methods and applying them to the construction of biologically important molecules. Over the years we have completed the total synthesis of many natural products, including: spongistatin 1 (anti-mitotic agent); rapamycin (immunosuppressant); thapsigargin (SERCA pumps inhibitor); azadirachtin (insect antifeedant); and bengazole A (fungicide). In addition to our research on natural product synthesis, we also pioneered flow chemistry and machine assisted synthesis.

For more detailed research information and our publication list, please see our legacy group website.

Completed Natural Products

Publications

Hydrogenation of aromatic ketones, aldehydes, and epoxides with hydrogen and Pd(0)EnCat™ 30NP

SV Ley, AJP Stewart-Liddon, D Pears, RH Perni, K Treacher

Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry

(2006)

(doi: 10.1186/1860-5397-2-15)

A highly selective, organocatalytic route to chiral 1,2-oxazines from ketones.

S Kumarn, DM Shaw, SV Ley

Chem Commun (Camb)

(2006)

3211

(doi: 10.1039/b606338a)

Natural Products as an Inspiration for the Discovery of New High-Throughput Chemical Synthesis Tools

SV Ley, IR Baxendale, DA Longbottom, RM Myers

(2006)

(doi: 10.1002/9780470085226.ch2)

Microwave-assisted Suzuki coupling reactions with an encapsulated palladium catalyst for batch and continuous-flow transformations

IR Baxendale, CM Griffiths-Jones, SV Ley, GK Tranmer

Chemistry A European Journal

(2006)

4407

(doi: 10.1002/chem.200501400)

The use of polymer-supported reagents and scavengers in the synthesis of natural products

SV Ley, IR Baxendale, RM Myers

(2006)

131

(doi: 10.1201/9781420009279)

Effect of azadirachtin‐derived decalin (perhydronaphthalene) and dihydrofuranacetal (furo[2, 3‐fo]pyran) fragments on the feeding behaviour of Spodoptera littoralis

WM Blaney, MSJ Simmonds, SV Ley, JC Anderson, SC Smith, A Wood

Pest Management Science

(2006)

169

(doi: 10.1002/ps.2780400212)

Microwave flow chemistry: The next evolutionary step in synthetic chemistry?

IR Baxendale, MR Pitts

Chimica Oggi

(2006)

Progress towards avermectins and milbemycins

SV Ley

Pesticide Science

(2006)

153

(doi: 10.1002/ps.2780180210)

Targeting C-reactive protein for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

MB Pepys, GM Hirschfield, GA Tennent, JR Gallimore, MC Kahan, V Bellotti, PN Hawkins, RM Myers, MD Smith, A Polara, AJA Cobb, SV Ley, JA Aquilina, CV Robinson, I Sharif, GA Gray, CA Sabin, MC Jenvey, SE Kolstoe, D Thompson, SP Wood

Nature

(2006)

440

1217

(doi: 10.1038/nature04672)

Chemical variation of natural product-like scaffolds: design and synthesis of spiroketal derivatives

G Zinzalla, L-G Milroy, SV Ley

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry

(2006)

1977

(doi: 10.1039/b603015g)