Professor Steven V. Ley Research Group

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

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)
30
(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)99439-5)
TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF (+) - MILBEMYCIN BETA-1
NJ Anthony, A Armstrong, SV Ley, A Madin
Tetrahedron Letters
(1989)
30
(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)99203-7)
SUBSTITUTION-REACTIONS OF 2-BENZENESULFONYL CYCLIC ETHERS WITH CARBON NUCLEOPHILES
DS Brown, M Bruno, RJ Davenport, SV Ley
Tetrahedron
(1989)
45
(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4020(01)81323-5)
Insect antifeedants from azadirachta indica (part 5): Chemical modification and structure-activity relationships of azadirachtin and some related limonoids
SV Ley, JC Anderson, WM Blaney, PS Jones, Z Lidert, ED Morgan, NG Robinson, D Santafianos, MSJ Simmonds, PL Toogood
Tetrahedron
(1989)
45
(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)81095-4)
A highly convergent total synthesis of the spiroacetal macrolide (+)-milbemycinβ1
SV Ley, NJ Anthony, A Armstrong, MG Brasca, T Clarke, D Culshaw, C Greck, P Grice, AB Jones, B Lygo, A Madin, RN Sheppard, AMZ Slawin, DJ Williams
Tetrahedron
(1989)
45
(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)89182-1)
Preparation of β-ketomacrolactones and β-ketodiolides using S-t-butyl 3-oxobutanethioate and S-t-butyl 4-diethylphosphono-3-oxobutanethioate
PM Booth, HB Broughton, MJ Ford, CMJ Fox, SV Ley, AMZ Slawin, DJ Williams, PR Woodward
Tetrahedron
(1989)
45
(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)89218-8)
Organic synthesis with tricarbonyliron lactone complexes
SV Ley
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences
(1988)
326
(doi: 10.1098/rsta.1988.0114)
Microbial oxidation in synthesis: Preparation from benzene of the cellular secondary messenger myo-inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and related derivatives
SV Ley, F Sternfeld
Tetrahedron Letters
(1988)
29
(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)80744-3)
Preparation of cyclic ether acetals from 2-benzenesulphonylderivatives: a new mild glycosidation procedure
DS Brown, SV Ley, S Vile
Tetrahedron Letters
(1988)
29
(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)80631-0)
DIRECT SUBSTITUTION OF 2-BENZENESULFONYL CYCLIC ETHERS USING ORGANOZINC REAGENTS
DS Brown, SV Ley
Tetrahedron Letters
(1988)
29
(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)80630-9)

Research Interest Groups

Telephone number

01223 336398

Email address

svl1000@cam.ac.uk

College

Trinity College

Papers of Interest

Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry
Lensfield Road
Cambridge
CB2 1EW
T: +44 (0) 1223 336300
enquiries@ch.cam.ac.uk
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