PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Stephenson, Nickeisha A.
AU  - Holland, Jason P.
AU  - Kassenbrock, Alina
AU  - Yokell, Daniel L.
AU  - Livni, Eli
AU  - Liang, Steven H.
AU  - Vasdev, Neil
TI  - Iodonium Ylide Mediated Radiofluorination of <sup>18</sup>F-FPEB and Validation for Human Use
AID  - 10.2967/jnumed.114.151332
DP  - 2015 Feb 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine
PG  - jnumed.114.151332
4099  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/early/2015/02/03/jnumed.114.151332.short
4100  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/early/2015/02/03/jnumed.114.151332.full
AB  - Translation of new methodologies for labeling non-activated aromatic molecules with fluorine-18 remains a challenge. Here, we report a one-step, regioselective, metal-free 18F-labeling method that employs a hypervalent iodonium(III) ylide precursor, to prepare the radiopharmaceutical 18F-FPEB. Methods: Automated radiosynthesis of 18F-FPEB was achieved by reaction of the ylide precursor (4 mg) with 18F-NEt4F in DMF at 80 °C for 5 minutes, and formulated for injection within 1 hour. Results: 18F-FPEB was synthesized in 15 – 25% (n = 3) uncorrected radiochemical yields relative to 18F-fluoride, with specific activities of 666 ± 51.8 GBq/μmol (18 ± 1.4 Ci/μmol) at the end-ofsynthesis (EOS) and was validated for human use. Conclusion: Radiofluorination of iodonium (III) ylides proved to be an efficient radiosynthetic strategy for synthesis of 18Flabeled radiopharmaceuticals.