Synthesis and biological evaluation of S‐[11C]methylated mercaptoimidazole piperazinyl derivatives as potential radioligands for imaging 5‐HT1A receptors by positron emission tomography (PET)

The novel 2‐mercaptoimidazole derivatives, 1‐[4‐((2‐methoxyphenyl)‐1‐piperazinyl)butyl]‐2‐mercaptoimidazole ( 3 ) and methyl[4‐((2‐methoxyphenyl)‐1‐piperazinyl))butyl] (2‐mercapto‐1‐methylimidazol‐5‐yl)methanamide ( 8 ), were efficiently labelled with ¹¹C through methylation of the thioketone function with [¹¹C]methyl iodide. The resulting radioligands 1‐[4‐((2‐methoxyphenyl)‐1‐piperazinyl))butyl]‐2‐thio[¹¹C]methylimidazole ([¹¹C] 9 ) and methyl[4‐((2‐methoxyphenyl)‐1‐piperazinyl))butyl] (2‐thio[¹¹C]methyl‐1‐methylimidazol‐5‐yl)‐methanamide ([¹¹C] 10 ) were synthesized in radiochemical yields of 20–30% (decay‐corrected, related to [¹¹C]CO₂) at a specific radioactivity of 0.2–0.4 Ci/µmol within 40–45 min including HPLC‐purification. The radiochemical purity exceeded 99%. The reference compounds 9 and 10 were tested in a competitive receptor binding assay to determine their affinity toward the 5‐HT_1A receptor. Both compounds exhibit excellent sub‐nanomolar affinities (IC₅₀=0.576±0.008 nM ( 9 ); IC₅₀=0.86±0.02 nM ( 10 )) for the 5‐HT_1A receptor while displaying a high selectivity towards the 5‐HT_2A subtype of receptors (IC₅₀>480 nM). By contrast, compound 9 also shows substantial binding for the alpha1‐adrenergic receptor (IC₅₀=3.00±0.02 nM) when compared with compound 10 (IC₅₀=54.5±0.6 nM). Preliminary biodistribution studies in rats showed an initial brain uptake of 1.14±0.11 and 0.37±0.04% ID/g after 5 min, which decreased to 0.18±0.04 and 0.16±0.01% ID/g after 60 min for compounds [¹¹C] 9 and [¹¹C] 10 , respectively. For both compounds, the cerebellum and rest of the brain uptake are very similar at the different time points. Unlike [¹¹C] 9 , the radioligand [¹¹C] 10 has significant uptake and retention in the adrenal glands. Due to their washout from the brain compounds [¹¹C] 9 and [¹¹C] 10 seem not to be good candidates as radioligands for imaging 5‐HT_1A receptors by PET. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of (±) 3‐(6‐nitro‐2‐quinolinyl)‐[9‐methyl‐11C]‐3,9‐diazabicyclo‐[4.2.1]‐nonane ([11C‐methyl]NS 4194)

(±) 3‐(6‐Nitro‐2‐quinolinyl)‐[9‐methyl‐¹¹C]‐3,9‐diazabicyclo‐[4.2.1]‐nonane ([¹¹C‐methyl]NS 4194), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), was synthesised within 35 min after end of bombardment with a radiochemical purity >98%. It had a decay‐corrected radiochemical yield of 7% after preparative HPLC, and a specific radioactivity around 37 GBq/μmol (EOS). A typical production starting with 40 GBq [¹¹C]CO₂ yielded 800 MBq of radiolabelled [¹¹C‐methyl]NS 4194 in a formulated solution. The synthesis of the precursor to [¹¹C‐methyl]NS 4194, (±) 9‐H‐3‐[6‐nitro‐(2‐quinolinyl)]‐3,9‐diazabicyclo‐[4.2.1]‐nonane, as well as the unlabelled analogue (±) 9‐methyl 3‐[6‐nitro‐(2‐quinolinyl)]‐3,9‐diazabicyclo‐[4.2.1]‐nonane (NS 4194), are also described. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of the phytohormone [11C]methyl jasmonate via methylation on a C18 Sep Pak™ cartridge

[¹¹C]labeled (±)‐methyl jasmonate was synthesized using a C₁₈ Sep Pak? at ～100°C to sustain a solid‐supported ¹¹C‐methylation reaction of sodium (±)‐jasmonate using [¹¹C]methyl iodide. After reaction, the Sep Pak was rinsed with acetone to elute the labeled product, and the solvent evaporated rendering [¹¹C]‐(±)‐methyl jasmonate at 96% radiochemical purity. The substrate, (±)‐jasmonic acid, was retained on the Sep Pak so further chromatography was unnecessary. Total synthesis time was 25 min from the end of bombardment (EOB) which included 15 min to generate [¹¹C]methyl iodide using the GE Medical Systems PET Trace MeI system, 5 min for reaction and extraction from the cartridge, and 5 min to reformulate the product for plant administration. An overall radiochemical yield (at EOB) of 17±4.3% was obtained by this process, typically producing 10 mCi of purified radiotracer. A specific activity of 0.5 Ci/µmol was achieved using a short 3 min cyclotron beam to produce the starting ¹¹C. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of a 11C‐labelled taxane derivative by [1‐11C]acetylation

The ¹¹C‐labelling of the taxane derivative BAY 59‐8862 ( 1 ), a potent anticancer drug, was carried out as a module‐assisted automated multi‐step synthesis procedure. The radiotracer [¹¹C]1 was synthesized by reacting [1‐¹¹C]acetyl chloride ( 6 ) with the lithium salt of the secondary hydroxy group of precursor 3 followed by deprotection. After HPLC purification of the final product [¹¹C]1 , its solid‐phase extraction, formulation and sterile filtration, the decay‐corrected radiochemical yield of [¹¹C]1 was in the range between 12 and 23% (related to [¹¹C]CO₂; n=10). The total synthesis time was about 54 min after EOB. The radiochemical purity of [¹¹C]1 was greater than 96% and the chemical purity exceeded 80%. The specific radioactivity was 16.8±4.7 GBq/µmol (n=10) at EOS starting from 80 GBq of [¹¹C]CO₂. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and in vivo evaluation of [O‐methyl‐11C] 2‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐N‐(4‐methylbenzyl)‐N‐(1‐methyl‐ piperidin‐4‐yl)acetamide as an imaging probe for 5‐HT2A receptors

2‐(4‐Methoxyphenyl)‐N‐(4‐methylbenzyl)‐N‐(1‐methylpiperidin‐4‐yl)acetamide (AC90179, 4 ), a highly potent and selective competitive 5‐HT_2A antagonist, was labeled by [¹¹C]‐methylation of the corresponding desmethyl analogue 5 with [¹¹C]methyl triflate. The precursor molecule 5 for radiolabeling was synthesized from p‐tolylmethylamine in three steps with 46% overall yield. [¹¹C]AC90179 was synthesized in 30 min (30 ± 5% yield, EOS) with a specific activity of 4500 ± 500 Ci/mmol and >99% chemical and radiochemical purities. Positron emission tomography studies in anesthetized baboon revealed that [¹¹C] 4 Penetrates the blood–brain barrier (BBB) with a rapid influx and efflux of the tracer in all brain regions. Due to lack of tracer retention or specific binding, [¹¹C] 4 cannot be used as PET ligand for imaging 5‐HT_2A receptors. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of 1‐(2′‐deoxy‐2′‐fluoro‐β‐D‐arabinofuranosyl)‐[Methyl‐11C]thymine ([11C]FMAU) via a Stille cross‐coupling reaction with [11C]methyl iodide

1‐(2′‐deoxy‐2′‐fluoro‐β‐D‐arabinofuranosyl)‐[methyl‐¹¹C]thymine ([¹¹C]FMAU) [¹¹C]‐ 1 was synthesised via a palladium‐mediated Stille coupling reaction of 1‐(2′‐deoxy‐2′‐fluoro‐β‐D‐arabinofuranosyl)‐5‐(trimethylstannyl)uracil 2 with [¹¹C]methyl iodide in a one‐pot procedure. The reaction conditions were optimized by screening various catalysts and solvents, and by altering concentrations and reaction temperatures. The highest yield was obtained using Pd₂(dba)₃ and P(o‐tolyl)₃ in DMF at 130°C for 5 min. Under these conditions the title compound [¹¹C]‐ 1 was obtained in 28±5% decay‐corrected radiochemical yield calculated from [¹¹C]methyl iodide (number of experiments=7). The radiochemical purity was >99% and the specific radioactivity was 0.1 GBq/μmol at 25 min after end of bombardment. In a typical experiment 700–800 MBq of [¹¹C]FMAU [¹¹C]‐ 1 was obtained starting from 6–7 GBq of [¹¹C]methyl iodide. A mixed ¹¹C/¹³C synthesis to yield [¹¹C]‐ 1 /(¹³C)‐ 1 followed by ¹³C‐NMR analysis was used to confirm the labelling position. The labelling procedure was found to be suitable for automation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Automated cGMP‐compliant radiosynthesis of [18F]‐(E)‐PSS232 for brain PET imaging of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5

(E)‐3‐(Pyridin‐2‐yl ethynyl)cyclohex‐2‐enone O‐(3‐(2‐[¹⁸F]‐fluoroethoxy)propyl) oxime ([¹⁸F]‐(E)‐PSS232, [¹⁸F] 2a ) is a recently developed radiotracer that can be used to visualize metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu₅) in vivo. The mGlu₅ has become an attractive therapeutic and diagnostic target owing to its role in many neuropsychiatric disorders. Several carbon‐11‐labeled and fluorine‐18‐labeled radiotracers have been developed to measure mGlu₅ receptor occupancy in the human brain. The radiotracer [¹⁸F] 2a , which is used as an analogue for [¹¹C]ABP688 ([¹¹C] 1 ) and has a longer physical half‐life, is a selective radiotracer that exhibits high binding affinity for mGlu₅. Herein, we report the fully automated radiosynthesis of [¹⁸F] 2a using a commercial GE TRACERlab? FX‐_FN synthesizer for routine production and distribution to nearby satellite clinics. Nucleophilic substitution of the corresponding mesylate precursor with cyclotron‐produced [¹⁸F]fluoride ion at 100°C in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification and formulation, readily provided [¹⁸F] 2a with a radiochemical yield of 40 ± 2% (decay corrected, n = 5) at the end of synthesis. Radiochemical purity for the [¹⁸F]‐(E)‐conformer was greater than 95%. Molar activity was determined to be 63.6 ± 9.6 GBq/μmol (n = 5), and the overall synthesis time was 70 minutes.     

Synthesis of [N‐methyl‐11C]‐3‐[(6‐dimethylamino)pyridin‐3‐yl]‐2,5‐dimethyl‐N,N‐dipropylpyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine‐7‐amine: A potential PET ligand for in vivo imaging of CRF1 receptors

A convenient synthesis of [N‐methyl‐¹¹C]‐3‐[(6‐dimethylamino)pyridin‐3‐yl]‐2,5‐dimethyl‐N,N‐dipropylpyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine‐7‐amine (R121920), a highly selective CRF₁ antagonist has been developed as a potential PET ligand. 3 ‐ [(6 ‐ methylamino)pyridin ‐ 3 ‐ yl]‐2,5‐dimethyl‐N,N‐dipropylpyrazolo [1,5‐a]pyrimidine‐7‐amine ( 7 ), the precursor for radiolabelling was synthesized through a novel palladium catalyzed Suzuki coupling of aryl bromide 5 with heteroaryl boronate ester 4 . The requisite boronate ester 4 was synthesized in four steps from 2‐amino‐4‐bromopyridine in 50% overall yield. Although the synthesis of cold R121920 proceeded in 93% yield by sodium hexamethyl‐disilazide (NaHMDS) mediated N‐methylation of the desmethylamine 7 at ?78°C, the attempted radiosynthesis under various conditions using conventional bases were not successful. However, the radiolabeling of [¹¹C]R121920 was successfully carried out with [¹¹C]MeOTf in acetone at ?20°C in the absence of added basic reagents. The radiotracer was purified by RP‐HPLC followed by RP‐solid phase extraction. The yield of the reaction was 5% (at EOB) and the specific activity was >1000 Ci/mmol (at EOB) with a radiochemical purity >99%. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Radiosynthesis of [11C]SL25.1188 via [11C]CO2 fixation for imaging monoamine oxidase B

Carbon‐11‐labelled (S)‐5‐methoxymethyl‐3‐[6‐(4,4,4‐trifluorobutoxy)benzo[d]isoxazol‐3‐yl]oxazolidin‐2‐[¹¹C]‐one ([¹¹C]SL25.1188), a promising reversibly binding radiotracer for imaging central monoamine oxidase B, was rapidly prepared via an intramolecular cyclization reaction in an automated one‐pot procedure directly from [¹¹C]CO₂, thereby precluding the use of [¹¹C]COCl₂. Formulated [¹¹C]SL25.1188 was isolated in 12 ± 1% uncorrected radiochemical yield, based on starting [¹¹C]CO₂, with a specific activity of 37 ± 2 GBq/µmol at the end of synthesis (30 min; n = 3). Radiochemical and enantiomeric purities were both >99%. The methodology described herein offers an efficient production of [¹¹C]SL25.1188 at ambient temperature and is suitable for human imaging studies.     

Radiosynthesis of 1‐iodo‐2‐[11C]methylpropane and 2‐methyl‐1‐[11C]propanol and its application for alkylation reactions and C―C bond formation

The multitude of biologically active compounds requires the availability of a broad spectrum of radiolabeled synthons for the development of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers. The aim of this study was to synthesize 1‐iodo‐2‐[¹¹C]methylpropane and 2‐methyl‐1‐[¹¹C]propanol and investigate the use of these reagents in further radiosynthesis reactions. 2‐Methyl‐1‐[¹¹C]propanol was obtained with an average radiochemical yield of 46 ± 6% d.c. and used with fluorobenzene as starting material. High conversion rates of 85 ± 4% d.c. could be observed with HPLC, but large precursor amounts (32 mg, 333 μmol) were needed. 1‐Iodo‐2‐[¹¹C]methylpropane was synthesized with a radiochemical yield of 25 ± 7% d.c. and with a radiochemical purity of 78 ± 7% d.c. The labelling agent 1‐iodo‐2‐[¹¹C]methylpropane was coupled to thiophenol, phenol and phenylmagnesium bromide. Average radiochemical conversions of 83% d.c. for thiophenol, 40% d.c. for phenol, and 60% d.c. for phenylmagnesium bromide were obtained. In addition, [¹¹C]2‐methyl‐1‐propyl phenyl sulphide was isolated with a radiochemical yield of 5 ± 1% d.c. and a molar activity of 346 ± 113 GBq/μmol at the end of synthesis. Altogether, the syntheses of 1‐iodo‐2‐[¹¹C]methylpropane and 2‐methyl‐1‐[¹¹C]propanol were achieved and applied as proof of their applicability.     

Radiosynthesis and in vivo study of [18F]1‐(2‐fluoroethyl)‐4‐[(4‐cyanophenoxy)methyl]piperidine: a promising new sigma‐1 receptor ligand

The novel sigma‐1 receptor PET radiotracer [¹⁸F]1‐(2‐fluoroethyl)‐4‐[(4‐cyanophenoxy)methyl]piperidine ([¹⁸F]WLS1.002, [¹⁸F]‐2) was synthesized (n=6) by heating the corresponding N‐ethylmesylate precursor in an anhydrous acetonitrile solution containing [¹⁸F]fluoride, Kryptofix K₂₂₂ and potassium carbonate for 15 min. Purification was accomplished by reverse‐phase HPLC methods, providing [¹⁸F]‐2 in 59±8% radiochemical yield (EOB), with specific activity of 2.89±0.80 Ci/µmol (EOS) and radiochemical purity of 98.3±2.1%. Rat biodistribution studies revealed relatively high uptake in many organs known to contain sigma‐1 receptors, including the lungs, kidney, heart, spleen, and brain. Good clearance from normal tissues was observed over time. Blocking studies (60 min) demonstrated high (>80%) specific binding of [¹⁸F]‐2 in the brain, with reduction also noted in other organs known to express these sites. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and evaluation of [O‐methyl‐11C]4‐[3‐[4‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)‐ piperazin‐1‐yl]propoxy]‐4‐aza‐tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]dec‐8‐ene‐3,5‐dione as a 5‐HT1A receptor agonist PET ligand

4‐[3‐[4‐(2‐Methoxyphenyl)piperazin‐1‐yl]propoxy]‐4‐aza‐tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]dec‐8‐ene‐3,5‐dione (4), a potent and selective 5‐HT_1A agonist, was labeled by ¹¹C‐methylation of the corresponding desmethyl analogue 3 with ¹¹C‐methyl triflate. The precursor molecule 3 was synthesized from commercially available endo‐N‐hydroxy‐5‐norbornene‐2,3‐dicarboximide in two steps with an overall yield of 40%. Radiosynthesis of ¹¹C‐4 was achieved in 35 min in 20±5% yield (n=6) at the end of synthesis with a specific activity of 2600±250 Ci/mmol. In vivo positron emission tomography (PET) studies in baboon revealed rapid uptake of the tracer into the brain. However, lack of specific binding indicates that ¹¹C‐4 is not useful as a 5‐HT_1A agonist PET ligand for clinical studies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of (E)‐2,3′,4,5′‐tetramethoxy[2‐11C]stilbene

In this paper, we describe the radiosynthesis of the compound (E)‐2,3′,4,5′‐tetramethoxy[2‐¹¹C]stilbene, a potential, universal tumour positron emission tomography imaging agent. The production of (E)‐2,3′,4,5′‐tetramethoxy[2‐¹¹C]stilbene was carried out via ¹¹C‐methylation of (E)‐2‐(hydroxy)‐3′,4,5′‐trimethoxystilbene by using [¹¹C]methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate ([¹¹C]methyl triflate). (E)‐2,3′,4,5′‐tetramethoxy[2‐¹¹C]stilbene was obtained with a radiochemical purity greater than 95% in a 20 ± 2% decay‐corrected radiochemical yield, based upon [¹¹C]carbon dioxide. Synthesis, purification and formulation were completed on an average of 30 min following the end of bombardment (EOB). The specific radioactivity obtained was 1.9 ± 0.6 GBq/µmol at EOB. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of [O‐methyl‐11C]‐4‐(1,3‐dimethoxy‐2‐propylamino)‐2,7‐dimethyl‐8‐(2,4‐dichlorophenyl)[1,5‐a]pyrazolo‐1,3,5‐triazine ([11C]DMP696): a potential PET ligand for CRF1 receptors

Synthesis of [O‐methyl‐¹¹C]‐4‐(1,3‐dimethoxy‐2‐propylamino)‐2,7‐dimethyl‐8‐(2,4‐dichlorophenyl)[1,5‐a]pyrazolo‐1,3,5‐triazine ([¹¹C]DMP696), a highly selective CRF₁ antagonist has been achieved. The total time required for the synthesis of [¹¹C]DMP696 is 30 min from EOB using [¹¹C]methyl triflate in THF, with a 16% yield (EOS) and >99% chemical and radiochemical purities along with a specific activity of >2000 Ci/mmol (EOS). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methylation of the thiophene ring using Carbon‐11‐labelled methyl iodide: formation of 3‐[11C]methylthiophene

This paper describes the radiosynthesis of 3‐[¹¹C]methylthiophene, chosen as a model reaction for the preparation of heteroaromatic methylthienyl compounds. Labelling was performed from the corresponding lithiothiophene derivative and [¹¹C]methyl iodide as the alkylating agent in THF at ?78°C. The conditions used were the following: (1) trapping for 2–3 min at ?78°C of the [¹¹C]methyl iodide in the THF solution containing the freshly prepared 3‐lithiothiophene; (2) Hydrolysis of the reaction mixture by adding 0.5 ml of the HPLC mobile phase and (3) HPLC purification. 3‐[¹¹C]Methylthiophene ([¹¹C]‐ 1 ) was collected in high yield as the unique peak of the HPLC radiochromatogram. Non‐reacted [¹¹C]methyl iodide was not present. Typically, 50–60 mCi (1.85–2.22 GBq) of 3‐[¹¹C]methylthiophene ([¹¹C]‐ 1 ) were obtained within 20 min of radiosynthesis (including HPLC purification) with specific radioactivities ranging from 0.6 to 1.0 Ci/μmol (22.2–37.0 GBq/μmol) starting from 180 to 200 mCi (6.66–7.40 GBq) of [¹¹C]CO₂ (10 μA, 10 min (6000 μC) irradiation). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Radiosynthesis of 7‐chloro‐N,N‐dimethyl‐5‐[11C]methyl‐4‐oxo‐3‐phenyl‐3,5‐dihydro‐4H‐pyridazino[4,5‐b]indole‐1‐acetamide, [11C]SSR180575, a novel radioligand for imaging the TSPO (peripheral benzodiazepine receptor) with PET

SSR180575 (7‐chloro‐N,N,5‐trimethyl‐4‐oxo‐3‐phenyl‐3,5‐dihydro‐4H‐pyridazino[4,5‐b]indole‐1‐acetamide) is the lead compound of an original pyridazinoindole series of potent and highly selective TSPO (peripheral benzodiazepine receptor) ligands. Isotopic labeling of SSR180575 with the short‐lived positron‐emitter carbon‐11 (T_1/2: 20.38 min) at its 5‐methylpyridazino[4,5‐b]indole moiety as well as at its N,N‐dimethylacetamide function by methylation of the corresponding nor‐analogues was investigated. Best results in terms of radiochemical yields and purities were obtained for the preparation of [indole‐N‐methyl‐¹¹C]SSR180575, where routine production batches of 4.5–5.0 GBq of radiochemically pure (>99%) i.v. injectable solutions (specific radioactivities: 50–90 GBq/ µ mol) could be prepared within a total synthesis time of 25 min (HPLC purification included) starting from a 55 GBq [¹¹C]CO₂ cyclotron production batch (non‐decay‐corrected overall radiochemical yields: 8–9%). The process comprises (1) trapping at ?10°C of [¹¹C]methyl triflate in DMF (300 µ l) containing 0.2–0.3 mg of the indole precursor for labeling and 4 mg of K₂CO₃ (excess); (2) heating at 120°C for 3 min; (3) dilution of the residue with 0.5 ml of the HPLC mobile phase and (4) purification using semi‐preparative reversed‐phase HPLC (Zorbax^® SB‐C‐18). In vivo pharmacological properties of [indole‐N‐methyl‐¹¹C]SSR180575 as a candidate for imaging neuroinflammation with positron emission tomography are currently evaluated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

N‐2‐(4‐N‐(4‐[18F]Fluorobenzamido)phenyl)‐propyl‐2‐propanesulphonamide: synthesis and radiofluorination of a putative AMPA receptor ligand

Arylpropylsulphonamides are in the focus of research as α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolpropionic acid (AMPA) receptor ligands. A new fluorine‐18‐labelled potentiator of AMPA receptors was synthesized as a potential radiotracer for cerebral imaging with positron emission tomography. Using N‐2‐(4‐N‐(4‐nitrobenzamido)phenyl)‐propyl‐2‐propanesulphonamide ( 7 ) as labelling precursor for a Kryptofix 2.2.2^®/K₂CO₃‐activated nucleophilic radiofluorination, the putative AMPA receptor ligand N‐2‐(4‐N‐(4‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzamido)phenyl)‐propyl‐2‐propanesulphonamide [¹⁸F] 8 was obtained in one step. Optimization of the reaction parameters time, temperature, solvent and concentration gave a radiochemical yield of 38±8% at 180°C in dimethylsulphoxide within 30‐min reaction time. After a solid‐phase extraction followed by a high‐performance liquid chromatography separation, the product could be obtained in radiochemical yields of 5±1.5%. Radiochemical purity was higher than 95% and the specific activity amounted to 77±40 GBq/µmol. First in vitro assays with rat brain slices revealed a high non‐specific binding and a uniform distribution of [¹⁸F] 8 not lending it for in vivo imaging purposes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient in‐loop synthesis of high specific radioactivity [11C]carfentanil

The synthesis of the precursor for [¹¹C]carfentanil and the precursor labelling with ¹¹C have both been improved. The problem ‘bottleneck’ step in the carfentanil precursor synthesis, due to low chemical yield (14%) of intermediates nitrile into amide conversion, has been solved. Application of a H₂O₂/K₂CO₃/DMSO reaction method significantly increased the yield of this chemical transformation (up to 84%). A simple and straight‐forward synthesis of [¹¹C]carfentanil was achieved by combining in‐loop methylation of the ammonia salt of the precursor by [¹¹C]CH₃I, using tetrabutylammonium hydroxide as a base, with a previously developed product purification procedure using a C2 extraction disc. A decay corrected yield with respect to [¹¹C]CH₃I of [¹¹C]carfentanil was 64±12% (n=6) with the synthesis time of 21 min. The radiochemical purity was >98%. Comparatively high specific radioactivity of [¹¹C]carfentanil [11.2±4.8 Ci/μmol (EOS, n=5)] was partially attributed to the use of [¹¹C]methane target gas for production of carbon‐11 methyl iodide. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of N′4‐[11C]methyl‐ciprofloxacin for positron emission tomography studies

The synthesis of N′₄‐[¹¹C]methyl‐ciprofloxacin for pharmacological studies using positron emission tomography is described. The starting material was treated with [¹¹C]methyl iodide at 120°C in DMF for 5 min. After HPLC separation on a C₁₈‐column with water/ethanol as mobile phase, the [¹¹C]methyl labelled compound was produced with a radiochemical yield of at least 25% (end of synthesis from [¹¹C]CO₂). Activities from 1.48 to 2.22 GBq (40 to 60 mCi) were obtained 1 h after the irradiation, ready for intravenous injection. The carrier ranged between 0.05 and 0.08 μmol (0.010–0.016 μmol/ml). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.