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 last 10 years we have completed the total synthesis of 28 natural products including spongistatin 1 (anti-mitotic agent), rapamycin (immunosuppressant), thapsigargin (SERCA pumps inhibitor), azadirachtin (insect antifeedant) and bengazole A (fungicide), taking our group total to 150 completed total syntheses. In addition to our research on natural product synthesis, we also have a new state-of-the-art flow chemistry facility.

For more detailed research information, group members and our publication list please see the group website.

Publications

1-BENZYLINDOLE

H HEANEY, SV LEY

ORGANIC SYNTHESES

(1988)

50-9

104

Chemistry of insect antifeedants from (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 .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)

Use of t-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 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

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)

Preparation of acyltetronic acids using t-butyl acetothioacetate: total synthesis of the fungal metabolites carolic, carlosic, and carlic acids

PM BOOTH, CMJ FOX, SV LEY

J CHEM SOC PERK T 1

(1987)

121

(doi: 10.1039/p19870000121)

Use of S -t-butyl acetothioacetate in the preparation of milbemycin seco-analogues