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
Preparation of unsymmetrical ketones from tosylhydrazones and aromatic aldehydes via formyl C-H bond insertion
Org Lett
(2014)
16
3064
(doi: 10.1021/ol5011714)
Accelerating spirocyclic polyketide synthesis using flow chemistry
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
(2014)
53
4915
(doi: 10.1002/anie.201402056)
Continuous flow chemistry: a discovery tool for new chemical reactivity patterns.
Org. Biomol. Chem.
(2014)
12
3611
(doi: 10.1039/c4ob00662c)
Integration of enabling methods for the automated flow preparation of piperazine-2-carboxamide
Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry
(2014)
10
641
(doi: 10.3762/bjoc.10.56)
Mild and Selective Heterogeneous Catalytic Hydration of Nitriles to Amides by Flowing through Manganese Dioxide
Organic letters
(2014)
16
1060
(doi: 10.1021/ol403591c)
Investigation of a lithium-halogen exchange flow process for the preparation of boronates by using a cryo-flow reactor
Chemistry A European Journal
(2014)
20
263
(doi: 10.1002/chem.201303736)
Machine-assisted synthesis of modulators of the histone reader BRD9 using flow methods of chemistry and frontal affinity chromatography
Med. Chem. Commun.
(2014)
5
540
(doi: 10.1039/c4md00007b)
Highly regioselective lithiation of pyridines bearing an oxetane unit by n-butyllithium
Chem Commun (Camb)
(2014)
50
8908
(doi: 10.1039/c4cc03766a)
Fully Automated Sequence-Specific Synthesis of α-Peptides Using Flow Chemistry
Journal of Flow Chemistry
(2014)
4
18
(doi: 10.1556/JFC-D-13-00033)
Oppenauer oxidation using hydrous zirconia catalysts and cerium oxide enhanced Sonogashira reactions in flow by low-level palladium perovskite catalysts
ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2014)
247
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