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

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
Multicomponent Direct Assembly of N-Heterospirocycles Facilitated by Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalysis.
OM Griffiths, SV Ley
Journal of Organic Chemistry
(2022)
87
Automated multi-objective reaction optimisation: which algorithm should I use?
P Müller, AD Clayton, J Manson, S Riley, OS May, N Govan, S Notman, SV Ley, TW Chamberlain, RA Bourne
Reaction Chemistry & Engineering
(2022)
7
Flow chemistry - Fundamentals: Second edition
F Darvas, G Dormán, V Hessel, SV Ley
(2021)
1
Outlook, future directions, and emerging applications
SV Ley, OS May, OM Griffiths, K Sowa
(2021)
Flow Chemistry: Volume 2: Applications
F Darvas, G Dormán, V Hessel, SV Ley
(2021)
Photoredox-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Csp3–Csp2 Cross-Coupling of Alkylarenes to Aldehydes in Flow
OM Griffiths, HA Esteves, Y Chen, K Sowa, OS May, P Morse, DC Blakemore, SV Ley
J Org Chem
(2021)
86
Formation and utility of reactive ketene intermediates under continuous flow conditions
HR Smallman, JA Leitch, T McBride, SV Ley, DL Browne
Tetrahedron: the international journal for the rapid publication of full original research papers and critical reviews in organic chemistr
(2021)
93
CLICK-enabled analogues reveal pregnenolone interactomes in cancer and immune cells.
S Roy, J Sipthorp, B Mahata, J Pramanik, ML Hennrich, A-C Gavin, SV Ley, SA Teichmann
Iscience
(2021)
24
A Comment on Continuous Flow Technologies within the Agrochemical Industry
SV Ley, Y Chen, A Robinson, B Otter, E Godineau, C Battilocchio
Organic Process Research and Development
(2021)
25

Research Group

Telephone number

01223 336398

Email address