Professor Steve Ley CBE FRS FMedSci | Professor Steven V. Ley Research Group

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

Synthesis of a C16-C28 spiroacetal fragment of avermectin B1a and reassignment of some 1H and 13C resonances of avermectin B1a

D Diez-Martin, P Grice, HC Kolb, SV Ley, A Madin

Tetrahedron Letters

(1990)

31

3445

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)97418-5)

Chemistry of insect antifeedants from azadirachta indica (part 7): Preparation of an optically pure hydroxyacetal epoxide related to azadirachtin.

JC Anderson, SV Ley

Tetrahedron Letters

(1990)

31

3437

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)97416-1)

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

SV Ley, F Sternfeld

Tetrahedron

(1989)

45

3463

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

Chemistry of insect antifeedants from azadirachta indica (part 4): synthesis towards the limonoid azadirachtin; preparation of a functionalised decalin fragment

SV Ley, AA Somovilla, HB Broughton, D Craig, AMZ Slawin, PL Toogood, DJ Williams

Tetrahedron

(1989)

45

2143

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)80075-2)

Substitution reactions of 2-benzenesulphonyl cyclic ethers with silyl enol ethers promoted by aluminium trichloride

S V. Ley, D S. Brown, M Bruno

Heterocycles

(1989)

28

773

(doi: 10.3987/com-88-s145)

ASSEMBLY OF THE T-CELL RECEPTOR CD3 COMPLEX

C TERHORST, B ALARCON, B BERKHOUT, R BLUMBERG, H CLEVERS, K GEORGOPOULOS, C HALL, S LEY, J SANCHO, J VERSTEEGEN, T WILEMAN

PROGRESS IN IMMUNOLOGY, VOL 7

(1989)

33

PREPARATION OF O-METHYL 3-ACYL TETRONIC ACIDS BY THE DIRECT ACYLATION OF STANNYL TETRONATES

SV Ley, DJ Wadsworth

Tetrahedron Letters

(1989)

30

1001

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)95301-2)

The first 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

J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun.

(1989)

1531

(doi: 10.1039/C39890001531)

The antifeedant activity of clerodane diterpenoids from Teucrium

MSJ Simmonds, WM Blaney, SV Ley, G Savona, M Bruno, B Rodriguez

Phytochemistry

(1989)

28

1069

(doi: 10.1016/0031-9422(89)80184-0)

The structure of two new clerodane diterpenoid potent insect antifeedants from Scutellaria woronowii (Juz); jodrellin A & B

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

Tetrahedron Letters

(1989)

30

4737

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(01)80789-9)

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