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

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)

CHEMISTRY OF INSECT ANTIFEEDANTS FROM AZADIRACHTA-INDICA .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)

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)

5305

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)80744-3)

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-BENZENESULFONYL 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

ORG SYNTH

(1988)

108

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

J Chem Ecol

(1988)

1845

(doi: 10.1007/bf01013481)

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)

An x-ray crystallographic, mass spectroscopic, and NMR study of the limonoid insect antifeedant azadirachtin and related derivatives

JN Bilton, HB Broughton, PS Jones, SV Ley, HS Rzepa, RN Sheppard, AMZ Slawin, DJ Williams, Z Lidert, ED Morgan

Tetrahedron

(1987)

2805

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)86886-1)

MICROBIAL OXIDATION IN SYNTHESIS - A 6 STEP PREPARATION OF (+/-)-PINITOL FROM BENZENE