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

Towards the synthesis of the C37-C42 fragment of rapamycin: intramolecular reactions of allyl silanes with oxonium ions generated from α-alkoxy sulfones.

SV Ley, C Kouklovsky

Tetrahedron

(1994)

50

835

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4020(01)80798-5)

BIOSYNTHESIS OF TETRONASIN .1. INTRODUCTION AND INVESTIGATION OF THE DIKETIDE AND TRIKETIDE INTERMEDIATES BOUND TO THE POLYKETIDE SYNTHASE

HC Hailes, CM Jackson, PF Leadlay, SV Ley, J Staunton

Tetrahedron Letters

(1994)

35

307

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)76539-7)

NOVEL POLYENE CYCLIZATION ROUTES TO THE ACYL TETRONIC ACID IONOPHORE TETRONASIN (ICI M139603)

G-J Boons, IC Lennon, SV Ley, ESE Owen, J Staunton, DJ Wadsworth

Tetrahedron Letters

(1994)

35

323

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)76543-9)

2 NEW ROUTES TO THE C19-C26 TETRAHYDROFURAN FRAGMENT OF THE ACYL TETRONIC ACID IONOPHORE TETRONASIN (ICI M139603)

G-J Boons, DS Brown, JA Clase, IC Lennon, SV Ley

Tetrahedron Letters

(1994)

35

319

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)76542-7)

Biosynthesis of tetronasin: Part 3 preparation of deuterium labelled tri- and tetraketides as putative biosynthetic precursors of tetronasin

HC Hailes, S Handa, PF Leadlay, IC Lennon, SV Ley, J Staunton

Tetrahedron Letters

(1994)

35

315

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)76541-5)

BIOSYNTHESIS OF TETRONASIN .2. IDENTIFICATION OF THE TETRAKETIDE INTERMEDIATE ATTACHED TO THE POLYKETIDE SYNTHASE

HC Hailes, S Handa, PF Leadlay, IC Lennon, SV Ley, J Staunton

Tetrahedron Letters

(1994)

35

311

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)76540-3)

Diastereoselective addition reactions to carbonyl groups in the side-chain of π-allytricarbonyliron lactone complexes

SV Ley, G Meek, K-H Metten, C Pique

J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun.

(1994)

1931

(doi: 10.1039/C39940001931)

Dispiroketals in synthesis (part 10): Further reactions of dispoke protected lactate and glycolate enolates

GJ Boons, R Downham, KS Kim, SV Ley, M Woods

Tetrahedron

(1994)

50

7157

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)85241-8)

Dispiroketals in synthesis (Part 17): Regioselective protection of D-glucopyranoside D-galactopyranoside and D-mannopyranoside substrates.

PJ Edwards, DA Entwistle, C Genicot, SV Ley, G Visentin

Tetrahedron: Asymmetry

(1994)

5

2609

(doi: 10.1016/S0957-4166(00)80404-8)

Dispiroketals in synthesis (part 6): Highly stereoselective alkylation of dispiroketal protected lactate and glycolate enolates

R Downham, KS Kim, SV Ley, M Woods

Tetrahedron Letters

(1994)

35

769

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)75813-8)