Professor Steve Ley CBE FRS FMedSci | Professor Steven V. Ley Research Group

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

Synthesis of carbohydrate derivatives using solid-phase work-up and scavenging techniques

RN MacCoss, PE Brennan, SV Ley

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry

(2003)

1

2029

(doi: 10.1039/b303951j)

A total synthesis of epothilones using solid-supported reagents and scavengers

RI Storer, T Takemoto, PS Jackson, SV Ley

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl

(2003)

42

2521

(doi: 10.1002/anie.200351413)

Versatile solid-phase synthesis of secondary amines from alcohols.: Development of an N-Boc-(o-nitrobenzene)sulfonamide linker

MS Congreve, C Kay, JJ Scicinski, SV Ley, G Williams, PJ Murray, SC McKeown, SP Watson

Tetrahedron Letters

(2003)

44

4153

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(03)00574-4)

Addition of dithiols to bis-ynones: development of a versatile platform for the synthesis of polyketide natural products.

HF Sneddon, MJ Gaunt, SV Ley

Organic Letters

(2003)

5

1147

(doi: 10.1021/ol034248f)

Development of an organocatalytic intramolecular cyclopropanation reaction.

N Bremeyer, MWJ Gaunt, SV Ley

ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

(2003)

225

U341

Development of an organic-catalyst mediated cyclopropanation reaction

MJ Gaunt, SV Ley, C Papageorgiou, N Bremeyer

ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

(2003)

225

U361

Synthesis of carbohydrate derivatives using clean chemistry.

RN MacCoss, PE Brennan, SV Ley

ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

(2003)

225

U297

Development of β-keto 1,3-dithianes:: Versatile platforms for organic synthesis.

HF Sneddon, MJ Gaunt, SV Ley

ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

(2003)

225

U342

Studies toward a total synthesis of bengazole A utilizing BDA-protected building blocks.

EP Balskus, PE Brennan, SV Ley

ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

(2003)

225

U350

Toward a total synthesis of thapsigargin.

SV Ley, SF Oliver, K Hogenauer, O Simic

ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

(2003)

225

U351

Research Interest Groups

Synthetic Chemistry

Materials Chemistry

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