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

Preparation of butane-1,2-diacetal-protected l-glyceraldehyde from D-mannitol

S Ley, P Michel

Synthesis

(2003)

2004

147

(doi: 10.1055/s-2003-42489)

Synthesis of the C-1-C-28 ABCD unit of spongistatin 1

MJ Gaunt, AS Jessiman, P Orsini, HR Tanner, DF Hook, SV Ley

Org Lett

(2003)

4819

(doi: 10.1021/ol035849+)

A Practical and Efficient Synthesis of the C-16−C-28 Spiroketal Fragment (CD) of the Spongistatins

MJ Gaunt, DF Hook, HR Tanner, SV Ley

Organic Letters

(2003)

4815

(doi: 10.1021/ol035848h)

Modern Synthetic Methods for Copper-Mediated C(aryl)-O, C(aryl)-N, and C(aryl)-S Bond Formation

SV Ley, AW Thomas

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl

(2003)

5400

(doi: 10.1002/anie.200300594)

Palladium-containing perovskites: recoverable and reuseable catalysts for Suzuki couplingsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: experimental details. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b3/b308465e/

MD Smith, AF Stepan, C Ramarao, PE Brennan, SV Ley

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)

(2003)

2652

(doi: 10.1039/b308465e)

Recyclable polyurea-microencapsulated Pd(0) nanoparticles: An efficient catalyst for hydrogenolysis of epoxides

SV Ley, C Mitchell, D Pears, C Ramarao, J-Q Yu, W Zhou

Org Lett

(2003)

4665

(doi: 10.1021/ol0358509)

A Convenient Route to Enantiomerically Pure 2-Substituted Methyl Glycerate Derivatives

SV Ley, P Michel, C Trapella

Organic letters

(2003)

4553

(doi: 10.1021/ol035567+)

A sequential tetra-n-propylammonium perruthenate (TPAP)–Wittig oxidation olefination protocol

RN MacCoss, EP Balskus, SV Ley

Tetrahedron Letters

(2003)

7779

(doi: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2003.08.081)

Total synthesis of the polyenoyltetramic acid polycephalin C

DA Longbottom, AJ Morrison, DJ Dixon, SV Ley

Tetrahedron

(2003)

6955

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4020(03)00816-0)

Synthesis, Chiroptical Properties, and Absolute Configuration of (+)-2,3-Dihydrotriquinacen-2-one. Effect of Rigid Triquinacene Geometry on the Inherently Dissymmetric Chromophore

L Paquette, W Farnham, S Ley

Journal of the American Chemical Society

(2003)

7273

(doi: 10.1021/ja00858a600)

Research Interest Groups

Telephone number

01223 336398

Email address

svl1000@cam.ac.uk

College

Trinity College

Papers of Interest

141. Preparation and use of tetra-n-propylammonium perruthenate (TPAP reagent) as new catalytic oxidants for alcohols J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun.,1987, 1625-1627.
659. The Synthesis of Azadirachtin Chem. Eur. J., 2008, 14, 10683-10704
366. Total synthesis of the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 1998, 3907-3912.
608. Total Synthesis of Rapamycin Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2007, 46, 591-597.
669. MultiStep Synthesis using Modular Flow Reactors Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2009, 48, 4017-4021
626. A Fascination with 1,2-Diacetals J. Org. Chem., 2007, 72, 5943-5959.
536. Multi-step Application of Immobilized Reagents and Scavengers: A Total Synthesis of Epothilone C Chem. Eur. J., 2004, 10, 2529-2547.
595. A Flow Process for the Multi-Step Synthesis of Oxomaritidine: A New Paradigm for Molecular Assembly J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 2006, 2566-2568.
785. Accelerating spirocyclic polyketide synthesis using flow chemistry Angew. Chem. Int. Edn., 2014, 53, 4915-4920
854. A Lewis Base Catalysis Approach for the Photoredox Activation of Boronic Acids and Esters Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2017, 56, 15136-15140

Professor Steve Ley CBE FRS FMedSci

Director of Research

Completed Natural Products

Publications

Research Interest Groups

Telephone number

Email address

College

Papers of Interest

About the Department

Departmental Services

Contact Professor Steven V. Ley Research Group

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge