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

The synthesis of salmeterol using solid supported reagents.

SV Ley, RN Bream

ABSTR PAP AM CHEM S

(2002)

224

U115

Total synthesis of the amaryllidaceae alkaloid (+)-plicamine using solid-supported reagents

IR Baxendale, SV Ley, M Nessi, C Piutti

Tetrahedron

(2002)

6285

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4020(02)00628-2)

Total synthesis of polycephalin C and determination of the absolute configurations at the 3",4" ring junction

DA Longbottom, AJ Morrison, DJ Dixon, SV Ley

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl

(2002)

2786

(doi: 10.1002/1521-3773(20020802)41:15<2786::aid-anie2786>3.0.co;2-z)

New tools and concepts for modern organic synthesis.

SV Ley, IR Baxendale

Nature reviews. Drug discovery

(2002)

573

(doi: 10.1038/nrd871)

A polymer-Supported [1,3,2]Oxazaphospholidine for the conversion of isothiocyanates to isocyanides and Their subsequent use in an ugi reaction

SV Ley, SJ Taylor

Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters

(2002)

1813

(doi: 10.1016/s0960-894x(02)00269-x)

A concise synthesis of carpanone using solid-supported reagents and scavengers

IR Baxendale, A-L Lee, SV Ley

Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions 1

(2002)

1850

(doi: 10.1039/b203388g)

Synthesis of taurospongin A: a potent inhibitor of DNA polymerase and HIV reverse transcriptase, using π-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes

CJ Hollowood, SV Ley, S Yamanoi

Chemical Communications

(2002)

1624

(doi: 10.1039/b204994p)

Total Synthesis of the Amaryllidaceae Alkaloid (+)‐Plicamine and Its Unnatural Enantiomer by Using Solid‐Supported Reagents and Scavengers in a Multistep Sequence of Reactions

IR Baxendale, SV Ley, C Piutti

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl

(2002)

2194

(doi: 10.1002/1521-3773(20020617)41:12<2194::AID-ANIE2194>3.0.CO;2-4)

Luminescence dynamics and 13C NMR characteristics of dinuclear complexes exhibiting coupled lanthanide(III) cation pairs

KD Matthews, SA Bailey-Folkes, IA Kahwa, GL McPherson, CA O'Mahoney, SV Ley, DJ Williams, CJ Groombridge, CA O'Connor

The Journal of Physical Chemistry

(2002)

7021

(doi: 10.1021/j100196a033)

Nitrogen Analogs of 1,6-Methano[12]annulene. Effect on Valence Tautomerism of the Locus of Aza Substitution

LA Paquette, HC Berk, SV Ley

Journal of Organic Chemistry

(2002)

902

(doi: 10.1021/jo00895a020)

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