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 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

A New Phase-Switch Method for Application in Organic Synthesis Programs Employing Immobilization through Metal-Chelated Tagging

SV Ley, A Massi, F Rodríguez, DC Horwell, RA Lewthwaite, MC Pritchard, AM Reid

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

(2001)

40

1053

(doi: 10.1002/1521-3773(20010316)40:6<1053::AID-ANIE10530>3.0.CO;2-D)

A New Phase‐Switch Method for Application in Organic Synthesis Programs Employing Immobilization through Metal‐Chelated Tagging

SV Ley, A Massi, F Rodríguez, DC Horwell, RA Lewthwaite, MC Pritchard, AM Reid

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)

(2001)

40

1053

(doi: 10.1002/1521-3773(20010316)40:6<1053::aid-anie10530>3.0.co;2-d)

A polymer-supported thionating reagent

SV Ley, AG Leach, RI Storer

JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY-PERKIN TRANSACTIONS 1

(2001)

358

(doi: 10.1039/b008814p)

Synthesis of New Chiral 2,2‘-Bipyridyl-Type Ligands, Their Coordination to Molybdenum(0), Copper(II), and Palladium(II), and Application in Asymmetric Allylic Substitution, Allylic Oxidation, and Cyclopropanation

AV Malkov, IR Baxendale, M Bella, V Langer, J Fawcett, DR Russell, DJ Mansfield, M Valko, P Kočovský

Organometallics

(2001)

20

673

(doi: 10.1021/om000850m)

New polyethylene glycol polymers as ketal protecting groups - A polymer supported approach to symmetrically substituted spiroketals

R Haag, AG Leach, SV Ley, M Nettekoven, J Schnaubelt

Synthetic Communications

(2001)

31

2965

(doi: 10.1081/SCC-100105668)

Molybdenum(0) and tungsten(0) catalysts with enhanced reactivity for allylic substitution: Regioselectivity and solvent effects

AV Malkov, IR Baxendale, DJ Mansfield, P Kočovský

Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions 1

(2001)

1234

(doi: 10.1039/b100903f)

Characterization of azadirachtin binding to Sf9 nuclei in vitro

AJ Nisbet, AJ Mordue (Luntz), RB Grossman, L Jennens, SV Ley, W Mordue

Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology

(2001)

46

78

(doi: 10.1002/arch.11)

Solid‐phase reaction monitoring—Chemical derivatization and off‐bead analysis

C Kay, OE Lorthioir, NJ Parr, M Congreve, SC McKeown, JJ Scicinski, SV Ley

Biotechnology and bioengineering

(2001)

71

110

(doi: 10.1002/1097-0290(2000)71:2<110::aid-bit1002>3.3.co;2-u)

A short and efficient stereoselective synthesis of the potent 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, CMI-977

DJ Dixon, SV Ley, DJ Reynolds, MS Chorghade

Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B Organic and Medicinal Chemistry

(2001)

40

1043

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

IR Baxendale*, A-L Lee, SV Ley

Synlett

(2001)

2001

1482

(doi: 10.1055/s-2001-16783)

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