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 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

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

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

Development of an organocatalytic intramolecular cyclopropanation reaction.

N Bremeyer, MWJ Gaunt, SV Ley

ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

(2003)

225

U341

Organic-catalyst-mediated cyclopropanation reaction.

CD Papageorgiou, SV Ley, MJ Gaunt

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl

(2003)

828

(doi: 10.1002/anie.200390222)

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

J-Q Yu, H-C Wu, C Ramarao, JB Spencer, SV Ley

Chemical Communications

(2003)

678

(doi: 10.1039/b300074p)

A 2,3-butanedione protected chiral glycine equivalent -: a new building block for the stereoselective synthesis of enantiopure N-protected α-amino acids

DJ Dixon, CI Harding, SV Ley, DMG Tilbrook

Chem Commun (Camb)

(2003)

468

(doi: 10.1039/b210673f)

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

CJ Hollowood, SV Ley

Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry

(2003)

3197

(doi: 10.1039/b306861g)

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

ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY

(2003)

2807

(doi: 10.1039/b305713e)

Use of π -allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes in the synthesis of taurospongin A : a potent inhibitor of DNA polymerase β and HIV reverse transcriptase

CJ Hollowood, S Yamanoi, SV Ley

Org. Biomol. Chem.

(2003)

1664

(doi: 10.1039/b301676p)