Professor Steve Ley CBE FRS FMedSci | Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

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

A new world for chemical synthesis?

S Ley, Y Chen, D Fitzpatrick, O May

Chimia

(2019)

73

792

(doi: 10.2533/chimia.2019.792)

A Photoredox Coupling Reaction of Benzylboronic Esters and Carbonyl Compounds in Batch and Flow

Y Chen, O May, DC Blakemore, SV Ley

Organic letters

(2019)

21

6140

(doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.9b02307)

Enabling synthesis in fragment-based drug discovery by reactivity mapping: photoredox-mediated cross-dehydrogenative heteroarylation of cyclic amines

R Grainger, TD Heightman, SV Ley, F Lima, CN Johnson

Chemical science

(2019)

10

2264

(doi: 10.1039/c8sc04789h)

Direct Oxidation of Csp³ -H bonds using in Situ Generated Trifluoromethylated Dioxirane in Flow.

M Lesieur, C Battilocchio, R Labes, J Jacq, C Genicot, SV Ley, P Pasau

Chemistry - A European Journal

(2019)

25

1203

(doi: 10.1002/chem.201805657)

Fast Continuous Alcohol Amination Employing a Hydrogen Borrowing Protocol

R Labes, C Mateos, C Battilocchio, Y Chen, P Dingwall, GR Cumming, JA Rincón, MJ Nieves-Remacha, SV Ley

Green Chemistry

(2019)

21

59

(doi: 10.1039/c8gc03328e)

Photochemical Homologation for the Preparation of Aliphatic Aldehydes in Flow.

Y Chen, M Leonardi, P Dingwall, R Labes, P Pasau, DC Blakemore, SV Ley

J Org Chem

(2018)

83

15558

(doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.8b02721)

Across‐the‐World Automated Optimization and Continuous‐Flow Synthesis of Pharmaceutical Agents Operating Through a Cloud‐Based Server

DE Fitzpatrick, T Maujean, AC Evans, SV Ley

Angewandte Chemie

(2018)

130

15348

(doi: 10.1002/ange.201809080)

Across-the-world automated optimization and continuous flow synthesis of pharmaceutical agents operating through a cloud-based server

DE Fitzpatrick, T Maujean, AC Evans, SV Ley

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

(2018)

57

15128

(doi: 10.1002/anie.201809080)

Three-component assembly of multiply-substituted homoallylic alcohols and amines using a flow chemistry photoreactor

Y Chen, D Blakemore, P Pasau, S Ley

Organic Letters

(2018)

20

6569

(doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.8b02907)

Integrated plug flow synthesis and crystallisation of pyrazinamide

CD Scott, R Labes, MJ Depardieu, C Battilocchio, MG Davidson, SV Ley, CC Wilson, K Robertson

Reaction Chemistry & Engineering

(2018)

3

631

(doi: 10.1039/c8re00087e)