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 .9. OXIDATIVE REACTIONS OF AZADIRACHTIN DERIVATIVES LEADING TO C8-C14 BOND-CLEAVAGE

SV Ley, PJ Lovell, SC Smith, A Wood

Tetrahedron Letters

(1991)

6183

(doi: 10.1016/0040-4039(91)80784-4)

THE TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF AGGLOMERIN-A AND (+/-)-CAROLINIC ACID - A GENERAL-METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF 3-ACYL TETRONIC ACIDS VIA DIRECT ACYLATION OF O-METHYL 3-STANNYL TETRONATES

SV Ley, ML Trudell, DJ Wadsworth

Tetrahedron

(1991)

8285

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4020(01)91021-x)

Chemistry of insect antifeedants from azadirachta indica (part 8): Synthesis of hydroxydihydrofuran acetal fragments for biological evaluation and azadirachtin total synthesis studies.

JC Anderson, SV Ley, D Santafianos, RN Sheppard

Tetrahedron

(1991)

6813

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)82332-2)

Synthesis of the β-lactone esterase inhibitor valilactone using π-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes.

RW Bates, R Fernández-Moro, SV Ley

Tetrahedron Letters

(1991)

2651

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)78809-5)

Use of phenylsulphonylmethano ethers in synthesis: A new versatile route to substituted cyclic ethers

P Charreau*, S Ley, T Vettiger, S Vile

Synlett

(1991)

1991

415

(doi: 10.1055/s-1991-20747)

Use of 2-phenylsulphonyl cyclic ethers in the preparation of tetrahydropyran and tetrahydrofuran acetals and in some glycosidation reactions.

DS Brown, SV Ley, S Vile, M Thompson

Tetrahedron

(1991)

1329

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)86389-4)

Substitution reactions of 2-phenylsulphonyl-piperidines and -pyrrolidines with carbon nucleophiles: Synthesis of the pyrrolidine alkaloids norruspoline and ruspolinone

DS Brown, P Charreau, T Hansson, SV Ley

Tetrahedron

(1991)

1311

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)86388-2)

Chapter 7 The Champagne Route to Avermectins and Milbemycins

SV Ley, A Armstrong

(1991)

237

(doi: 10.1016/b978-0-08-092430-4.50013-5)

The Champagne Route to Avermectins and Milbemycins

SV Ley, A Armstrong

Strategies and Tactics in Organic Synthesis

(1991)

237

(doi: 10.1016/B978-0-08-092430-4.50013-5)

SYNTHESIS OF INSECT ANTIFEEDANTS

SV LEY

PESTICIDE CHEMISTRY : ADVANCES IN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND LEGISLATION

(1991)

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

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Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge