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
Design, synthesis and evaluation of semi-synthetic triazole-containing caffeic acid analogues as 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors.
European journal of medicinal chemistry
(2015)
101
573
(doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.07.011)
Generation of Reactive Ketenes under Flow Conditions through Zinc-Mediated Dehalogenation
Synlett
(2015)
26
1470
(doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1380679)
Machines vs Malaria: A Flow-Based Preparation of the Drug Candidate OZ439.
Org Lett
(2015)
17
3218
(doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.5b01307)
Continuous Flow Metathesis for Direct Valorization of Food Waste: An Example of Cocoa Butter Triglyceride
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
(2015)
3
1453
A Versatile Room-Temperature Route to Di- and Trisubstituted Allenes Using Flow-Generated Diazo Compounds
Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
(2015)
54
7920
(doi: 10.1002/anie.201501538)
Thiazole formation through a modified Gewald reaction.
Beilstein journal of organic chemistry
(2015)
11
875
(doi: 10.3762/bjoc.11.98)
A Versatile Room‐Temperature Route to Di‐ and Trisubstituted Allenes Using Flow‐Generated Diazo Compounds
Angewandte Chemie
(2015)
127
8031
(doi: 10.1002/ange.201501538)
A practical deca-gram scale ring expansion of (R)-(−)-carvone to (R)-(+)-3-methyl-6-isopropenyl-cyclohept-3-enone-1
Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
(2015)
13
7633
(doi: 10.1039/c5ob00525f)
Large‐Scale Synthesis of Crystalline 1,2,3,4,6,7‐Hexa‐O‐acetyl‐L‐glycero‐α‐D‐manno‐heptopyranose
European Journal of Organic Chemistry
(2015)
2015
2718
(doi: 10.1002/ejoc.201500024)
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