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

TPAP: Tetra-n-propylammonium perruthenate, a mild and convenient oxidant for alcohols

WP Griffith, SV Ley

Aldrichimica Acta

(1990)

Neo-clerodane insect antifeedants from Scutellaria galericulata

MD Cole, JC Anderson, WM Blaney, LE Fellows, SV Ley, RN Sheppard, MSJ Simmonds

Phytochemistry

(1990)

1793

(doi: 10.1016/0031-9422(90)85018-B)

Microbial oxidation in synthesis: preparation of myo-inositol phosphates and related cyclitol derivatives from benzene

SV Ley, M Parra, AJ Redgrave, F Sternfeld

Tetrahedron

(1990)

4995

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4020(01)85605-2)

SYNTHESIS OF ANTIFEEDANTS FOR INSECTS - NOVEL BEHAVIOR-MODIFYING CHEMICALS FROM PLANTS

SV LEY

CIBA FOUNDATION SYMPOSIA

(1990)

154

SYNTHESIS OF THE C12-C26 FRAGMENT OF THE ACYLTETRONIC ACID IONOPHORE ANTIBIOTIC TETRONASIN (ICI-139603)

SE de Laszlo, MJ Ford, SV Ley, GN Maw

Tetrahedron Letters

(1990)

5525

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)97889-4)

SYNTHESIS AND MODIFICATION OF AZADIRACHTIN AND RELATED ANTIFEEDANTS

SV LEY

RECENT ADVANCES IN THE CHEMISTRY OF INSECT CONTROL II

(1990)

INSECT ANTIFEEDANTS

SV LEY, PL TOOGOOD

CHEM BRIT

(1990)

Microbial Oxidation in Synthesis: Preparation of (+)- and (-)-Pinitol from Benzene

SV Ley, F Sternfeld

Tetrahedron

(1989)

3463

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)81025-5)

THE 1ST CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF LANTHANIDE HOMODINUCLEAR MACROCYCLIC COMPLEXES SHOWING METAL METAL PAIR INTERACTIONS

IA Kahwa, S Folkes, DJ Williams, SV Ley, CA O'Mahoney, GL McPherson

Journal of the Chemical Society Chemical Communications

(1989)

1531

(doi: 10.1039/C39890001531)

Microbial oxidation in synthesis: Preparation of 6-deoxy cyclitol analogues of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate from benzene

SV Ley, M Parra, AJ Redgrave, F Sternfeld, A Vidal

Tetrahedron Letters

(1989)

3557

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)99439-5)

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