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

PREPARATION OF CYCLIC ETHER ACETALS FROM 2-BENZENESULFONYL DERIVATIVES - A NEW MILD GLYCOSIDATION PROCEDURE

DS Brown, SV Ley, S Vile

Tetrahedron Letters

(1988)

4873

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)80631-0)

Direct substitution of 2-benzenesulphonyl cyclic ethers using organozinc reagents

DS Brown, SV Ley

Tetrahedron Letters

(1988)

4869

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)80630-9)

PREPARATION OF TERT-BUTYL ACETOTHIOACETATE AND USE IN THE SYNTHESIS OF 3-ACETYL-4-HYDROXY-5,5-DIMETHYLFURAN-2(5H)-ONE

CMJ FOX, SV LEY

ORGANIC SYNTHESES

(1988)

108

1-BENZYLINDOLE

H HEANEY, SV LEY

ORGANIC SYNTHESES

(1988)

50-9

104

CHEMISTRY OF INSECT ANTIFEEDANTS FROM AZADIRACHTA INDICA .3. REACTIONS ON THE C-22,23 ENOL ETHER DOUBLE-BOND OF AZADIRACHTIN AND CONVERSION TO 22,23-DIHYDRO-23-BETA-METHOXYAZADIRACHTIN

SV Ley, JC Anderson, WM Blaney, Z Lidert, ED Morgan, NG Robinson, MSJ Simmonds

Tetrahedron Letters

(1988)

5433

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)82888-9)

Chemistry of insect antifeedants from azadirachta indica (part 1): Conversion from the azadirachtin to the azadirachtinin skeletons

JN Bilton, PS Jones, SV Ley, NG Robinson, RN Sheppard

Tetrahedron Letters

(1988)

1849

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)82061-4)

Chemistry of insect antifeedants from azadirachta indica (part 2): Synthesis of a polyoxygenated decalin with limonoid structural homology.

MG Brasca, HB Broughton, D Craig, SV Ley, AA Somovilla, PL Toogood

Tetrahedron Letters

(1988)

1853

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)82062-6)

Activity of drimane antifeedants and related compounds against aphids, and comparative biological effects and chemical reactivity of (-)- and (+)-polygodial.

Y Asakawa, GW Dawson, DC Griffiths, JY Lallemand, SV Ley, K Mori, A Mudd, M Pezechk-Leclaire, JA Pickett, H Watanabe, CM Woodcock, Z Zhong-Ning

Journal of Chemical Ecology

(1988)

1845

(doi: 10.1007/bf01013481)

USE OF TERT-BUTYL 4-DIETHYLPHOSPHONO-3-OXOBUTANETHIOATE FOR TETRAMIC ACID SYNTHESIS - TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF THE PLASMODIAL PIGMENT FULIGORUBIN-A

SV Ley, SC Smith, PR Woodward

Tetrahedron Letters

(1988)

5829

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)82204-2)

Preparation and use of tetra-n-butylammonium per-ruthenate (TBAP reagent) and tetra-n-propylammonium per-ruthenate (TPAP reagent) as new catalytic oxidants for alcohols

WP Griffith, SV Ley, GP Whitcombe, AD White

Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications

(1987)

1625

(doi: 10.1039/C39870001625)

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