Professor Steve Ley CBE FRS FMedSci | Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

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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

Straightforward, scalable, solution-phase synthesis of peptide bonds in flow

ZE Wilson, E Lopez, NJ Flodén, C Watkins, G Bianchini, SV Ley

– Journal of Flow Chemistry

(2025)

1

(doi: 10.1007/s41981-025-00347-2)

Carbonylative transformations with Pd catalysts supported on bio-degradable urea-based polymer – Part A

M Markovič, P Lopatka, P Koóš, T Soták, A Ház, T Gracza, SV Ley, M Králik

– Catalysis Today

(2024)

441,

114903

(doi: 10.1016/j.cattod.2024.114903)

Palladium catalysts supported on biodegradable urea-based polymers in synthesis with CO – Part B

M Markovič, P Lopatka, P Koóš, T Soták, A Ház, T Gracza, SV Ley, M Králik

– Catalysis Today

(2024)

440,

114831

(doi: 10.1016/j.cattod.2024.114831)

Antascomicin B stabilizes FKBP51-Akt1 complexes as a molecular glue.

SC Schäfer, AM Voll, A Bracher, SV Ley, F Hausch

– Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

(2024)

104,

129728

(doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129728)

Continuous flow synthesis enabling reaction discovery.

AI Alfano, J García-Lacuna, OM Griffiths, SV Ley, M Baumann

– Chemical science

(2024)

15,

4618

(doi: 10.1039/d3sc06808k)

Nitro-sulfinate Reductive Coupling to Access (Hetero)aryl Sulfonamides

SE Gatarz, OM Griffiths, HA Esteves, W Jiao, P Morse, EL Fisher, DC Blakemore, SV Ley

– Journal of Organic Chemistry

(2024)

89,

1898

(doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c02557)

Photoredox-Catalyzed Preparation of Sulfones Using Bis-Piperidine Sulfur Dioxide - An Underutilized Reagent for SO2 Transfer.

OM Griffiths, HA Esteves, DC Emmet, SV Ley

– Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)

(2024)

30,

e202303976

(doi: 10.1002/chem.202303976)

Automated multistep synthesis of 2-pyrazolines in continuous flow

SV Ley, R Labes, JC Pastre, RJ Ingham, C Battilocchio, HM Marçon, MCFCB Damião, DN Tran

– Reaction Chemistry and Engineering

(2023)

9,

558

(doi: 10.1039/D3RE00515A)

The Evolution of Flow Chemistry: An Opinion on Factors Driving Innovation.

SL Bourne, F Amann, SV Ley

– Chimia

(2023)

77,

288

(doi: 10.2533/chimia.2023.288)

Exploring the chemical space of phenyl sulfide oxidation by automated optimization

P Mueller, A Vriza, AD Clayton, OS May, N Govan, S Notman, SV Ley, TW Chamberlain, RA Bourne

– Reaction Chemistry & Engineering

(2023)

8,

538

(doi: 10.1039/d2re00552b)