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

Use of π-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes in the synthesis of taurospongin A: A potent inhibitor of DNA polymerase β and HIV reverse transcriptase
CJ Hollowood, S Yamanoi, SV Ley
Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
(2003)
1
Fully automated multi-step solution phase synthesis using polymer supported reagents: preparation of histone deacetylase inhibitors (vol 1, pg 2419, 2003)
E Vickerstaffe, BH Warrington, M Ladlow, SV Ley
ORG BIOMOL CHEM
(2003)
1
Reductive decomplexation of π-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes using sodium naphthalenide as a route to stereodefined 1,7-diols and 2,3-diene-l,7-diols
CJ Hollowood, SV Ley
Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
(2003)
1
1,5-Asymmetric induction of chirality using pi-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes: highly diastereoselective synthesis of alpha-functionalised carbonyl compounds
CJ Hollowood, SV Ley, EA Wright
Org Biomol Chem
(2003)
1
A rapid stereocontrolled synthesis of the 3 a -hydroxy-pyrrolo[2,3- b ]indole skeleton, a building block for 10 b -hydroxy-pyrazino[1′,2′:1,5]pyrrolo[2,3- b ]indole-1,4-diones
SV Ley, E Cleator, PR Hewitt
Org. Biomol. Chem.
(2003)
1
Synthesis of (-)-gloeosporone, a fungal autoinhibitor of spore germination using a pi-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complex as a templating architecture for 1,7-diol construction.
SV Ley, E Cleator, J Harter, CJ Hollowood
Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
(2003)
1
Copper(I)-catalyzed preparation of (E)-3-iodoprop-2-enoic acid: [(2-propenoic acid, 3-iodo-, (2E)-)]
DJ Dixon, SV Ley, DA Longbottom, M Deritter, S Wolff
Organic Syntheses
(2003)
80
Development of new synthetic tools for the preparation of biologically active molecules
SV Ley, IR Baxendale, P Grice
CHEMICAL PROBES IN BIOLOGY: SCIENCE AT THE INTERFACE OF CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2003)
129
Microencapsulation of osmium tetroxide in polyurea.
SV Ley, C Ramarao, A-L Lee, N Østergaard, SC Smith, IM Shirley
Org Lett
(2002)
5
Organic synthesis in a changing world
SV Ley, IR Baxendale
Chem Rec
(2002)
2

Research Group

Telephone number

01223 336398

Email address