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

Total synthesis of the anthelmintic macrolide avermectin B1a

SV Ley, A Armstrong, D Díez-Martín, MJ Ford, P Grice, JG Knight, HC Kolb, A Madin, CA Marby, S Mukherjee, AN Shaw, AMZ Slawin, S Vile, AD White, DJ Williams, M Woods

Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1

(1991)

667

(doi: 10.1039/p19910000667)

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)

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)

SYNTHESIS OF INSECT ANTIFEEDANTS

SV LEY

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

(1991)

SYNTHESIS OF TETRAHYDROPYRAN-CONTAINING NATURAL-PRODUCTS

SV LEY

HETEROCYCLES IN BIO-ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

(1991)

NOVEL ROUTES TO INOSITOL PHOSPHATES USING PSEUDOMONAS-PUTIDA OXIDATION OF ARENES

SV LEY, AJ REDGRAVE, LL YEUNG

INOSITOL PHOSPHATES AND DERIVATIVES

(1991)

463

132

Direct substitution of 2-phenylsulphonylpyrrolidines, -piperidines, -tetrahydrofurans and -tetrahydropyrans by alkyl organometallic reagents in dichloromethane

D Brown*, P Charreau, S Ley

Synlett

(1990)

1990

749

(doi: 10.1055/s-1990-21237)

DIRECT SUBSTITUTION OF 2-PHENYLSULPHONYLPYRROLIDINES, 2-PHENYLSULPHONYLPIPERIDINES, 2-PHENYLSULPHONYLTETRAHYDROFURANS AND 2-PHENYLSULPHONYLTETRAHYDROPYRANS BY ALKYL ORGANOMETALLIC REAGENTS IN DICHLOROMETHANE

DS BROWN, P CHARREAU, SV LEY

SYNLETT

(1990)

749

An Efficient Three-Step Synthesis of L-(-)-Oleandrose from (S)-(-)-Methyl Lactate

M Ford*, S Ley

Synlett

(1990)

1990

771

(doi: 10.1055/s-1990-21247)

A NEW RUTHENIUM(VI) OXIDANT - PREPARATION, X-RAY CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE, AND PROPERTIES OF (PH4P)[RUO2(OAC)CL2]

WP Griffith, JM Jolliffe, SV Ley, DJ Williams

Chemical Communications

(1990)

1219

(doi: 10.1039/c39900001219)

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