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
The synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) using continuous flow chemistry
Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry
(2015)
11
1194
(doi: 10.3762/bjoc.11.134)
Machine‐Assisted Organic Synthesis
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
(2015)
54
10122
(doi: 10.1002/anie.201501618)
Design, synthesis and evaluation of semi-synthetic triazole-containing caffeic acid analogues as 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors.
Eur J Med Chem
(2015)
103
223
(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)
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 & Biomolecular Chemistry
(2015)
13
7633
(doi: 10.1039/c5ob00525f)
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