Toward the total synthesis of tetrodotoxin: stereoselective construction of the 7-oxanorbornane intermediate

The stereoselective synthesis of 7-oxanorbornane regarding as a key synthetic intermediate of tetrodotoxin (TTX) is reported. The bicyclo ring bearing various functional groups was successfully elaborated by a furan Diels–Alder (DA) reaction. The stereoselective installation of a quaternary amino carbon center to the DA product was achieved with the Tsuji–Trost allylation. The stereochemistry was unambiguously confirmed with X-ray.