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

Oxidation of phenols to ortho-quinones using diphenylseleninic anhydride
DHR Barton, AG Brewster, SV Ley, MN Rosenfeld
Journal of the Chemical Society Chemical Communications
(1976)
The stability of NN-dialkylthiohydroxylamines
DHR Barton, SV Ley, PD Magnus
Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications
(1975)
Aryne chemistry. Part XXXIV. Reactions of NN-dimethylarylamines with tetrahalogenobenzynes
JPN Brewer, H Heaney, SV Ley, TJ Ward
Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1
(1974)
Rearrangement reactions of bicyclic systems. Part II. Rearrangements of 1-dimethylamino-5,6,7,8-tetrahalogeno-1,4-dihydro-1,4-ethenonaphthalene derivatives and the analogous 5,6,7,8-tetrafluoro-1,4-dihydro-N-methyl-1,4-iminonaphthalene in aqueous solutions
H Heaney, SV Ley
Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1
(1974)
REARRANGEMENT REACTIONS OF BICYCLIC SYSTEMS .3. ACID-CATALYZED REARRANGEMENTS OF 1,4-DIHYDRO-1-METHOXY-1,4-ETHENONAPHTHALENE (1-METHOXYBENZOBARRELENE) AND ITS 5,6,7,8-TETRAHALOGENO-DERIVATIVES
NJ Hales, H Heaney, SV Ley
JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY-PERKIN TRANSACTIONS 1
(1974)
Rearrangement Reactions of Bicyclic Systems. Part IV. Acid-catalysed Rearrangements of 5,6,7,8-Tetrafluoro-1,4-dihydro-1-methoxy-3,9-dimethyl-l,4-ethenonaphthalene (1-methoxy-3,5-dimethyltetrafluoro benzobarrelene)
H Heaney, SV Ley
J CHEM SOC PERK T 1
(1974)
Aryne chemistry. Part XXXV. Reactions of arynes with 1-amino-cycloalkenes and hydrolyses of the adducts
H Heaney, SV Ley
Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1
(1974)
ARYNE CHEMISTRY .33. REACTIONS OF TETRAHALOGENOBENZYNES WITH METHOXYARENES AND PHOTOLYSIS AND THERMOLYSIS OF SOME OF PRODUCTS
PC Buxton, NJ Hales, B Hankinson, H Heaney, SV Ley, RP Sharma
J CHEM SOC PERK T 1
(1974)
Rearrangement reactions of bicyclic systems. Part I. Synthesis of a model compound related to flavothebaone trimethyl ether. The abnormal ultraviolet absorption spectrum of flavothebaone and its trimethyl ether
H Heaney, JH Hollinshead, GW Kirby, SV Ley, RP Sharma, KW Bentley
JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY-PERKIN TRANSACTIONS 1
(1973)
Mećhanistic dichotomy in cycloadditions to cyclooctatetraeneiron tricarbonyl. X-ray crystal structure analysis of the TCNE and CSI adducts
LA Paquette, SV Ley, MJ Broadhurst, D Truesdell, J Fayos, J Clardy
Tetrahedron Letters
(1973)
14

Research Group

Telephone number

01223 336398

Email address