Total Synthesis of (-)-Tetrodotoxin and 11-norTTX-6(R)-ol

The enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-tetrodotoxin [(-)-TTX] and 4,9-anhydrotetrodotoxin, which are selective blockers of voltage-gated sodium channels, was accomplished from the commercially available p-benzoquinone. This synthesis was based on efficient stereocontrol of the six contiguous stereogenic centers on the core cyclohexane ring through Ogasawara's method, [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of an allylic cyanate, and intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a nitrile oxide. Our synthetic route was applied to the synthesis of the tetrodotoxin congeners 11-norTTX-6(R)-ol and 4,9-anhydro-11-norTTX-6(R)-ol through late-stage modification of the common intermediate. Neutral deprotection at the final step enabled easy purification of tetrodotoxin and 11-norTTX-6(R)-ol without competing dehydration to their 4,9-anhydro forms.