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

Experiments on the synthesis of tetracycline. Part 15. Oxidation of phenols and ring A model phenols to o -hydroxy-dienones with benzeneseleninic anhydride
DH Barton, SV Ley, PD Magnus, MN Rosenfeld
JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY-PERKIN TRANSACTIONS 1
(1977)
ELECTROPHILIC FLUORINATION OF ACTIVATED OLEFINS - SYNTHESIS OF 6-FLUORO-CORTICOSTEROIDS
DHR BARTON, LJ DANKS, RH HESSE, MM PECHET, C WILSHIRE
NOUVEAU JOURNAL DE CHIMIE-NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(1977)
1
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)
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
Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1
(1974)
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)
Aryne chemistry. Part XXXIII. Reactions of tetrahalogenobenzynes with methoxyarenes and the photolysis and thermolysis of some of the products
PC Buxton, NJ Hales, B Hankinson, H Heaney, SV Ley, RP Sharma
Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions 1
(1974)
Aryne chemistry. Part XXXV. Reactions of arynes with 1-aminocycloalkenes and hydrolyses of the adducts
H Heaney, SV Ley
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. Part III. acid-catalysed 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)

Research Group

Telephone number

01223 336398

Email address