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

Highly cis- or trans-selective oxygen to carbon rearrangements of anomerically linked 6-substituted tetrahydropyranyl enol ethers

DJ Dixon, SV Ley, EW Tate

Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1

(1999)

2665

(doi: 10.1039/a904891j)

Modified mesoporous silicate MCM-41 materials: immobilised perruthenate—a new highly active heterogeneous oxidation catalyst for clean organic synthesis using molecular oxygen

A Bleloch, BFG Johnson, SV Ley, AJ Price, DS Shephard, AW Thomas

Chemical Communications

(1999)

1907

(doi: 10.1039/a906354d)

Three-step synthesis of an array of substituted benzofurans using polymer-supported reagents

J Habermann, SV Ley, R Smits

Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1

(1999)

2421

(doi: 10.1039/a904384e)

π-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes in a diastereoselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction.

SVJ Ley, EA Wright

ABSTR PAP AM CHEM S

(1999)

218

U51

Total synthesis of the plasmoidal pigment physarorubinic acid, a polyenoyl tetramic acid

DJ Dixon, SV Ley, DA Longbottom

Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1

(1999)

2231

(doi: 10.1039/a904921e)

Use of the Potassium Ion as a Template for the Selective Derivatization of the Antibiotic X-206

AC O'Sulliva, F Struber, SV Ley

The Journal of Organic Chemistry

(1999)

6252

(doi: 10.1021/jo9903151)

Total synthesis of the cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor 1233A via a (pi-allyl)tricarbonyliron lactone complex

RW Bates, E Fernández-Megía, SV Ley, K Rück-Braun, DMG Tilbrook

J CHEM SOC PERK T 1

(1999)

1917

(doi: 10.1039/a903641e)

Synthesis of an array of potential matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors using a sequence of polymer-supported reagents.

M Caldarelli, J Habermann, SV Ley

Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

(1999)

2049

(doi: 10.1016/S0960-894X(99)00311-X)

Dispiroketals in synthesis.: Part 24.: Preparation and use of chiral 2,2′-bis(triisopropylsilyloxymethyl)bi(dihydropyran)s as new protecting and resolving agents for 1,2-diols

D Lainé, M Fujita, SV Ley

Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1

(1999)

1639

(doi: 10.1039/a900950g)

Dispiroketals in synthesis. Part 25.1 Further reactions of dispiroketal protected glycolate to afford optically active 1,2,3,4-tetraols

M Fujita, D Lainé, SV Ley

JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY-PERKIN TRANSACTIONS 1

(1999)

1647

(doi: 10.1039/a900951e)

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