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

The Generation of a Library of Bromodomain-Containing Protein Modulators Expedited by Continuous Flow Synthesis

P Filipponi, IR Baxendale

European Journal of Organic Chemistry

(2016)

2016

2000

(doi: 10.1002/ejoc.201600222)

Enabling Technologies for the Future of Chemical Synthesis.

DE Fitzpatrick, C Battilocchio, SV Ley

ACS Cent Sci

(2016)

2

131

(doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.6b00015)

Iterative reactions of transient boronic acids enable sequential C-C bond formation.

C Battilocchio, F Feist, A Hafner, M Simon, DN Tran, DM Allwood, DC Blakemore, SV Ley

Nature chemistry

(2016)

8

360

(doi: 10.1038/nchem.2439)

Synthesis of Natural and Unnatural Cyclooligomeric Depsipeptides Enabled by Flow Chemistry.

D Lücke, T Dalton, SV Ley, ZE Wilson

Chemistry A European Journal

(2016)

22

4206

(doi: 10.1002/chem.201504457)

A multistep continuous flow synthesis machine for the preparation of pyrazoles via a metal-free amine-redox process

J-S Poh, DL Browne, SV Ley

React Chem Eng

(2016)

1

101

(doi: 10.1039/c5re00082c)

Editorial – Flow Chemistry and Catalysis

SV Ley

Catalysis Science & Technology

(2016)

6

4676

(doi: 10.1039/c6cy90064j)

Continuous photochemistry: the flow synthesis of ibuprofen via a photo-Favorskii rearrangement

M Baumann, IR Baxendale

Reaction Chemistry & Engineering

(2016)

1

147

(doi: 10.1039/c5re00037h)

Online quantitative mass spectrometry for the rapid adaptive optimisation of automated flow reactors

N Holmes, GR Akien, RJD Savage, C Stanetty, IR Baxendale, AJ Blacker, BA Taylor, RL Woodward, RE Meadows, RA Bourne

Reaction Chemistry & Engineering

(2016)

1

96

(doi: 10.1039/c5re00083a)

Controlled generation and use of CO in flow

SVF Hansen, ZE Wilson, T Ulven, SV Ley

Reaction Chemistry & Engineering

(2016)

1

280

(doi: 10.1039/c6re00020g)

Correction: Controlled generation and use of CO in flow

SVF Hansen, ZE Wilson, T Ulven, SV Ley

Reaction Chemistry & Engineering

(2016)

1

340

(doi: 10.1039/c6re90010k)

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