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 last 10 years we have completed the total synthesis of 28 natural products including spongistatin 1 (anti-mitotic agent), rapamycin (immunosuppressant), thapsigargin (SERCA pumps inhibitor), azadirachtin (insect antifeedant) and bengazole A (fungicide), taking our group total to 150 completed total syntheses. In addition to our research on natural product synthesis, we also have a new state-of-the-art flow chemistry facility. 

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

Publications

The first Lewis acid-catalyzed allylboronate additions to aldehydes
DEA Brittain, SV Ley
Chemtracts
(2004)
17
Enantioselective Organocatalytic Cyclopropanation via Ammonium Ylides
CD Papageorgiou, MA Cubillo de Dios, SV Ley, MJ Gaunt
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
(2004)
43
The preparation and alkylation of a butanedione-derived chiral glycine equivalent and its use for the synthesis of alpha-amino acids and alpha,alpha-disubstituted amino acids
CI Harding, DJ Dixon, SV Ley
Tetrahedron
(2004)
60
Synthesis of the C-1/C-15 spiroketal fragment (AB) of spongistatin 1.
P Orsini, SV Ley, AS Jessiman, MJ Gaunt
ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2004)
228
A concise total synthesis of (+)-okaramine C.
PR Hewitt, E Cleator, SV Ley
Organic & biomolecular chemistry
(2004)
2
5-Pyrrolidin-2-yltetrazole as an asymmetric organocatalyst for the addition of ketones to nitro-olefins
AJA Cobb, DA Longbottom, DM Shaw, SV Ley
Chemical Communications
(2004)
10
Synthesis of the thapsigargins
SV Ley, A Antonello, EP Balskus, DT Booth, SB Christensen, E Cleator, H Gold, K Högenauer, U Hünger, RM Myers, SF Oliver, O Simic, MD Smith, H Søhoel, AJA Woolford
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
(2004)
101
Multi-step application of immobilized reagents and scavengers: a total synthesis of epothilone C.
RI Storer, T Takemoto, PS Jackson, DS Brown, IR Baxendale, SV Ley
Chemistry - A European Journal
(2004)
10
An intramolecular organocatalytic cyclopropanation reaction
N Bremeyer, SC Smith, SV Ley, MJ Gaunt
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
(2004)
43
Evolving cascades: The Claisen rearrangement in the development of tandem sequences of three or more reactions
BL Gray, SV Ley
Chemtracts
(2004)
17

Telephone number

01223 336398

Email address

Papers of Interest