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 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

Natural product synthesis using π-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes: Synthesis of parasorbic acid, the carpenter bee pheromone and malyngolide

AM HORTON, SV LEY

Journal of Organometallic Chemistry

(1985)

285

C17

(doi: 10.1016/0022-328x(85)87394-0)

ORGANOSELENIUM-MEDIATED CYCLISATION REACTIONS IN ORGANIC SYNTHESIS.

SV Ley

Chemistry and Industry London

(1985)

101

The use of t-butyl acetothioacetate as a route to bis-β-ketomacrolides

CMJ FOX, SV LEY, AMZ SLAWIN, DJ WILLIAMS

J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun.

(1985)

1805

(doi: 10.1039/c39850001805)

Synthesis of the β-lactam antibiotic (+)- thienamycin via an intermediate π-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complex

ST HODGSON, DM HOLLINSHEAD, SV LEY

Tetrahedron

(1985)

41

5871

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4020(01)91426-7)

Synthesis of the northern hemisphere of the milbemycins using a new strategy for the formation of the C15 to C16 bond.

D CULSHAW, P GRICE, SV LEY, GA STRANGE

Tetrahedron Letters

(1985)

26

5837

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)98940-8)

Preparation and reactions of 2-benzenesulphonyltetrahydropyran

SV LEY, B LYGO, A WONNACOTT

Tetrahedron Letters

(1985)

26

535

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)61931-7)

Total synthesis of the sesquiterpene (±)-hirsutene using an organoselenium-mediated cyclization reaction

SV LEY, PJ MURRAY, BD PALMER

Tetrahedron

(1985)

41

4765

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)96715-8)

Wittig and horner-wittig coupling reactions of 2-substituted cyclic ethers and their application to spiroketal synthesis

SV LEY, B LYGO, HM ORGAN, A WONNACOTT

Tetrahedron

(1985)

41

3825

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)91403-6)

Structural reappraisal of the limonoid insect antifeedant azadirachtin

JN BILTON, HB BROUGHTON, SV LEY, Z LIDERT, ED MORGAN, HS RZEPA, RN SHEPPARD

Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications

(1985)

968

(doi: 10.1039/c39850000968)

SYNTHETIC APPLICATIONS OF YNES, ENES AND ONES - ORGANOSELENIUM-MEDIATED CYCLIZATION REACTIONS IN ORGANIC-SYNTHESIS

SV LEY

CHEMISTRY & INDUSTRY

(1985)

101

Research Interest Groups

Synthetic Chemistry

Materials Chemistry

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