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

The use of pi-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes in the synthesis of the resorcylic macrolides alpha- and beta-zearalenol

SV Ley, S Burckhardt

JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY-PERKIN TRANSACTIONS 1

(2000)

3028

(doi: 10.1039/b005942k)

A short stereoselective total synthesis of the fusarium toxin equisetin.

LT Burke, DJ Dixon, SV Ley, F Rodríguez

Org Lett

(2000)

2

3611

(doi: 10.1021/ol006493u)

The total synthesis of the annonaceous acetogenin, muricatetrocin C

DJ Dixon, SV Ley, DJ Reynolds

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

(2000)

39

3622

(doi: 10.1002/1521-3773(20001016)39:20<3622::AID-ANIE3622>3.0.CO;2-H)

The Total Synthesis of the Annonaceous Acetogenin, Muricatetrocin C

DJ Dixon, SV Ley, DJ Reynolds

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl

(2000)

39

3622

(doi: 10.1002/1521-3773(20001016)39:20<3622::aid-anie3622>3.0.co;2-h)

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of L-galactosylated dimeric sialyl Lewis X structures employing α-1,3-fucosyltransferase V

A Düffels, LG Green, R Lenz, SV Ley, SP Vincent, CH Wong

Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry

(2000)

8

2519

(doi: 10.1016/s0968-0896(00)00187-5)

Polymer-supported reagents for multi-step organic synthesis: application to the synthesis of sildenafil

IR Baxendale, SV Ley

Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters

(2000)

10

1983

(doi: 10.1016/S0960-894X(00)00383-8)

Combined application of analytical techniques for the characterization of polymer supported species

P Grice, AG Leach, SV Ley, A Massi, DM Mynett

ACS Combinatorial Science

(2000)

2

491

(doi: 10.1021/cc000021p)

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of fluorinated sugar nucleotide: Useful mechanistic probes for glycosyltransferases

MD Burkart, SP Vincent, A Düffels, BW Murray, SV Ley, CH Wong

Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry

(2000)

8

1937

(doi: 10.1016/S0968-0896(00)00139-5)

Protecting groups: Effects on reactivity, glycosylation stereoselectivity, and coupling efficiency

LG Green, SV Ley, B Ernst, GW Hart, P Sinaý

(2000)

1-4

427

(doi: 10.1002/9783527618255.ch17)

Synthesis of High‐Mannose Type Neoglycolipids: Active Targeting of Liposomes to Macrophages in Gene Therapy

A Düffels, LG Green, SV Ley, AD Miller

Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)

(2000)

6

1416

(doi: 10.1002/(sici)1521-3765(20000417)6:8<1416::aid-chem1416>3.0.co;2-o)

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