Total synthesis of uniflorine A, casuarine, australine, 3-epi-australine, and 3,7-di-epi-australine from a common precursor.

A flexible method for the diastereoselective total synthesis of the pyrrolizidine alkaloids uniflorine A, casuarine, australine, and 3-epi-australine and the unnatural epimer 3,7-di-epi-australine from a common chiral 2,5-dihydropyrrole precursor is described.