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

Fully automated multi-step solution phase synthesis using polymer supported reagents: preparation of histone deacetylase inhibitors (vol 1, pg 2419, 2003)

E Vickerstaffe, BH Warrington, M Ladlow, SV Ley

ORG BIOMOL CHEM

(2003)

2807

(doi: 10.1039/b305713e)

Reductive decomplexation of pi-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes using sodium naphthalenide as a route to stereodefined 1,7-diols and 2,3-diene-1,7-diols

CJ Hollowood, SV Ley

Org Biomol Chem

(2003)

3197

(doi: 10.1039/b306861g)

Development of new synthetic tools for the preparation of biologically active molecules

SV Ley, IR Baxendale, P Grice

CHEMICAL PROBES IN BIOLOGY: SCIENCE AT THE INTERFACE OF CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE

(2003)

129

235

A rapid stereocontrolled synthesis of the 3a-hydroxy-pyrrolo[2,3-b]indole skeleton, a building block for 10b-hydroxy-pyrazino[1 ',2 ': 1,5]pyrrolo[2,3-b]indole-1,4-diones

SV Ley, E Cleator, PR Hewitt

Org Biomol Chem

(2003)

3492

(doi: 10.1039/b308288a)

Synthesis of (-)-Gloeosporone, a fungal autoinhibitor of spore germination using a pi-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complex as a templating architecture for 1,7-diol construction

SV Ley, E Cleator, J Harter, CJ Hollowood

Org Biomol Chem

(2003)

3263

(doi: 10.1039/b308793j)

Copper(I)-catalyzed preparation of (E)-3-iodoprop-2-enoic acid: [(2-propenoic acid, 3-iodo-, (2E)-)]

DJ Dixon, SV Ley, DA Longbottom, M Deritter, S Wolff

Organic Syntheses

(2003)

129

(doi: 10.15227/orgsyn.080.0129)

Transfer hydrogenation using recyclable polyurea-encapsulated palladium: efficient and chemoselective reduction of aryl ketones.

JQ Yu, HC Wu, C Ramarao, JB Spencer, SV Ley

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)

(2003)

678

Rhodium-catalyzed coupling of heterocycles and alkenes: A novel mechanism of C-H activation

EP Balskus, SV Ley

Chemtracts

(2003)

443

Microencapsulation of osmium tetroxide in polyurea

SV Ley, C Ramarao, A-L Lee, N Østergaard, SC Smith, IM Shirley

Organic letters

(2002)

185

(doi: 10.1021/ol020225+)

Organic synthesis in a changing world

SV Ley, IR Baxendale

Chemical record (New York, N.Y.)

(2002)

377

(doi: 10.1002/tcr.10033)

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