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

Chemistry of Insect Antifeedants from Azadirachta indica (Part 22): Functionalisation of the Decalin Fragment of Azadirachtin via a Claisen Rearrangement Reaction

SV Ley*, CE Gutteridge, AR Pape, CD Spilling, C Zumbrunn

Synlett

(1999)

1999

1295

(doi: 10.1055/s-1999-2802)

Tritiated dihydroazadirachtin binging to Schistocerca gregaria testes and Spodoptera Sf9 cells suggests a similar cellular mechanism of action for azadirachtin

AJ Mordue, AJ Nisbet, L Jennens, SV Ley, W Mordue

AZADIRACHTA INDICA A. JUSS.

(1999)

247

Synthesis of the potent analgesic compound (±)-epibatidine using an orchestrated multi-step sequence of polymer supported reagents

J Habermann, SV Ley, JS Scott

Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1

(1999)

1253

(doi: 10.1039/a901802f)

Clean synthesis of a-bromo ketones and their utilisation in the synthesis of 2-aIkoxy-2,3-dihydro-2-aryl-l,4-benzodioxanes, 2-amino-4-aryI-l,3-thiazoles and piperidino-2-amino-l,3-thiazoles using polymer-supported reagents

J Habermann, SV Ley, JJ Scicinski, JS Scott, R Smits, AW Thomas

Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1

(1999)

2425

(doi: 10.1039/a905616e)

Nitrogen atom transfer from a novel nitridomanganese complex for the amination of silyl enol ether and glycal derivatives

SV Ley, DJ Dixon

Chemtracts

(1999)

Assembly of dendritic glycoclusters from monomeric mannose building blocks

P Langer, SJ Ince, SV Ley

Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1

(1998)

3913

(doi: 10.1039/a807621i)

Total synthesis of the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid

SV Ley, AC Humphries, H Eick, R Downham, AR Ross, RJ Boyce, JBJ Pavey, J Pietruszka

Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1

(1998)

3907

(doi: 10.1039/a807957i)

Characterization of azadirachtin binding to Sf9 nuclei in vitro

AJ Nisbet, AJ Mordue, RB Grossman, L Jennens, SV Ley, W Mordue

Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology

(1998)

461

(doi: 10.1002/(sici)1520-6327(1997)34:4<461::aid-arch5>3.0.co;2-v)

Total synthesis of roflamycoin, an oxopolyene macrolide antibiotic

SD Rychnovsky, UR Khire, G Yang, SV Ley, P Jones

Chemtracts

(1998)

1005

Double diastereodifferentiation in the Mukaiyama aldol reactions of π-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes: 1,7- vs. 1,2-asymmetric induction

SV Ley, LR Cox, JM Worrall

J CHEM SOC PERK T 1

(1998)

3349

(doi: 10.1039/a805996i)

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