In the Ley Group, we specialise in developing new synthesis methods and applying them to the construction of biologically important molecules. Over the last 4 years we have completed the total synthesis of 38 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 140 completed total syntheses. In addition to our research on natural product synthesis, we have the Innovative Technology Centre (ITC); a new state-of-the-art flow chemistry facility. Our group is also part of the CRUK PhD Training Programme in Medicinal Chemistry.
For more detailed research information, group members and our publication list please see the group website

Continuous flow reaction monitoring using an on-line miniature mass spectrometer.
DL Browne, S Wright, BJ Deadman, S Dunnage, IR Baxendale, RM Turner, SV Ley - Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry (
2012)
26, 1999
(DOI:
10.1002/rcm.6312)
Convergent Total Syntheses of Callipeltosides A, B, and C
JR Frost, CM Pearson, TN Snaddon, RA Booth, SV Ley - Angew Chem Int Ed Engl (
2012)
51, 9366
(DOI:
10.1002/anie.201204868)
On being green: Can flow chemistry help?
SV Ley - Chemical Record (
2012)
12, 378
(DOI:
10.1002/tcr.201100041)
Continuous multiple liquid-liquid separation: Diazotization of amino acids in flow
DX Hu, M O'Brien, SV Ley - Organic Letters (
2012)
14, 4246
(DOI:
10.1021/ol301930h)
Flow synthesis using gaseous ammonia in a Teflon AF-2400 tube-in-tube reactor: Paal-Knorr pyrrole formation and gas concentration measurement by inline flow titration.
PB Cranwell, M O'Brien, DL Browne, P Koos, A Polyzos, M Peña-López, SV Ley - Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry (
2012)
10, 5774
(DOI:
10.1039/c2ob25407g)
A total synthesis of the ammonium ionophore, (-)-enniatin B
DX Hu, M Bielitza, P Koos, SV Ley - Tetrahedron Letters (
2012)
53, 4077
(DOI:
10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.05.110)
A "Catch-React-Release" Method for the Flow Synthesis of 2-Aminopyrimidines and Preparation of the Imatinib Base
RJ Ingham, E Riva, N Nikbin, IR Baxendale, SV Ley - Organic Letters (
2012)
14, 3920
(DOI:
10.1021/ol301673q)
Rotamers or diastereomers? An overlooked NMR solution
DX Hu, P Grice, SV Ley - J Org Chem (
2012)
77, 5198
(DOI:
10.1021/jo300734r)
Continuous-flow processing of gaseous ammonia using a Teflon AF-2400 tube-in-tube reactor: Synthesis of thioureas and in-line titrations
D Browne, M O'Brien, P Koos, PB Cranwell, A Polyzos, SV Ley - Synlett (
2012)
23, 1402
(DOI:
10.1055/s-0031-1290963)
Asymmetric Homogeneous Hydrogenation in Flow using a Tube-in-Tube Reactor
S Newton, SV Ley, EC Arcé, DM Grainger - Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis (
2012)
354, 1805
(DOI:
10.1002/adsc.201200073)