PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nickeisha A. Stephenson
AU  - Jason P. Holland
AU  - Alina Kassenbrock
AU  - Daniel L. Yokell
AU  - Eli Livni
AU  - Steven H. Liang
AU  - Neil Vasdev
TI  - Iodonium Ylide–Mediated Radiofluorination of <sup>18</sup>F-FPEB and Validation for Human Use
AID  - 10.2967/jnumed.114.151332
DP  - 2015 Mar 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine
PG  - 489--492
VI  - 56
IP  - 3
4099  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/56/3/489.short
4100  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/56/3/489.full
SO  - J Nucl Med2015 Mar 01; 56
AB  - Translation of new methodologies for labeling nonactivated aromatic molecules with 18F remains a challenge. Here, we report a one-step, regioselective, metal-free 18F-labeling method that uses a hypervalent iodonium(III) ylide precursor, to prepare the radiopharmaceutical 18F-3-fluoro-5-[(pyridin-3-yl)ethynyl]benzonitrile (18F-FPEB). Methods: Automated radiosynthesis of 18F-FPEB was achieved by reaction of the ylide precursor (4 mg) with 18F-Et4NF in dimethylformamide at 80°C for 5 min and formulated for injection within 1 h. Results: 18F-FPEB was synthesized in 20% ± 5% (n = 3) uncorrected radiochemical yields relative to 18F-fluoride, with specific activities of 666 ± 51.8 GBq (18 ± 1.4 Ci)/μmol at the end of synthesis and was validated for human use. Conclusion: Radiofluorination of iodonium (III) ylides proved to be an efficient radiosynthetic strategy for synthesis of 18F-labeled radiopharmaceuticals.