Chemoenzymatic n.c.a synthesis of the coenzyme UDP‐2‐deoxy‐2‐[18F]fluoro‐α‐D‐glucopyranose as substrate of glycosyltransferases

The development of ¹⁸F‐labelling methods adopted to proteins and bioactive peptides is of great interest in radiopharmaceutical sciences. In order to provide ¹⁸F‐labelled sugars as a polar prosthetic group for an enzymatic ¹⁸F‐labelling procedure, an appropriate nucleotide activated sugar is needed. Here, we present the radiosynthesis of n.c.a. UDP‐2‐deoxy‐2‐[¹⁸F]fluoro‐α‐D‐glucopyranose (UDP‐[¹⁸F]FDG) as a substrate for glycosyltransferases. The MacDonald synthesis of [¹⁸F]FDG‐1‐phosphate was successfully combined with an enzymatic activation to obtain UDP‐[¹⁸F]FDG directly in an aqueous medium located in the void volume of a solid phase cartridge. The radiochemical yield of UDP‐[¹⁸F]FDG was 20% (based on [¹⁸F]fluoride) after a total synthesis time of 110 min. Thus, an intermediate was provided for the enzymatic transfer of [¹⁸F]FDG using UDP‐[¹⁸F]FDG as glycosyl donor making use of a suitable glycosyltransferase. This would represent a highly selective and mild ¹⁸F‐labelling method for glycosylated biomolecules. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Substitution‐reduction: an alternative process for the [18F]N‐(2‐fluoroethylation) of anilines

Substitution of a halo atom (chloro or bromo) in easily prepared N‐haloacetyl‐anilines with no‐carrier added (NCA) cyclotron‐produced [¹⁸F]fluoride ion (¹⁸F, t_1/2= 109.8 min; β⁺=96.9%), followed by reduction with borane–tetrahydrofuran (BH₃–THF), provides an alternative route to NCA [¹⁸F]N‐(2‐fluoroethyl)‐anilines. This two‐step and one‐pot process is rapid (～50 min) and moderately high yielding (～40% decay‐corrected radiochemical yield (RCY) overall). In the nucleophilic substitution reaction, 18‐crown‐6 is preferred to Kryptofix^® 222 as complexing agent for the solubilization of the counter‐ion (K⁺), derived from an added metal salt, in acetonitrile. Weakly basic potassium bicarbonate is preferred as the added metal salt. Inclusion of a small amount of water, equating to 4–5 molar equivalents relative to 18‐crown‐6, base or precursor (held in equimolar ratio), is beneficial in preventing the adsorption of radioactivity onto the wall of the glass reaction vessel and for achieving high RCY in the nucleophilic substitution reaction. BH₃–THF is effective for the rapid reduction of the generated [¹⁸F]N‐fluoroacetyl‐aniline to the [¹⁸F]N‐(2‐fluoroethyl)‐aniline. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

N‐Arylation of indoles with 4‐[18F]fluoroiodobenzene: synthesis of 18F‐labelled σ2 receptor ligands for positron emission tomography (PET)

The palladium‐mediated N‐arylation of indoles with 4‐[¹⁸F]fluoroiodobenzene as a novel radiolabelling method has been developed. Optimized reaction conditions were elaborated by variation of different catalyst systems (CuI/1,2‐diamines and Pd₂(dba)₃/phosphine ligands), bases and solvents in the reaction of indole with 4‐[¹⁸F]fluoroiodobenzene. Optimized reaction conditions (Pd₂(dba)₃/(2‐(dicyclohexyl‐phosphino)‐2′‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)‐biphenyl, NaOBu^t, toluene, 100°C for 20 min) were applied for the synthesis of ¹⁸F‐labelled σ₂ receptor ligands [¹⁸F]‐11 and [¹⁸F]‐13 which were obtained in 91 and 84% radiochemical yields, respectively. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of [18F]‐6‐deoxy‐6‐fluoro‐D‐glucose ([18F]6FDG), a potential tracer of glucose transport

With the goal of developing a PET radioligand for the in vivo assessment of glucose transport, 6-deoxy-6-[¹⁸F]fluoro-D -glucose ([¹⁸F]6FDG) was prepared in two steps from ¹⁸F⁻. Starting with D -glucose, the tosyl- and mesyl-derivatives of 3,5-O-benzylidene-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D -glucofuranose were prepared by known methods. Reaction of either of these precursors with ¹⁸F⁻ resulted in the formation of 3,5-O-benzylidene-6-deoxy-6-[¹⁸F]-fluoro-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D -glucofuranose in high yield. Subsequent hydrolysis resulted in the production of [¹⁸F]6FDG. Under optimal conditions, [¹⁸F]6FDG is produced 60–70 min after end of bombardment (EOB) in 71 ± 12% yield (decay corrected, based upon fluoride) with a radiochemical purity of ⩾96%. Preliminary experiments have indicated that [¹⁸F]6FDG may be a more representative in vivo tracer for the glucose transporter than 2FDG. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of [18F]FETO,a novel potential 11‐β hydroxylase inhibitor

Recent publications reported high uptake of the carbon‐11 labelled 11β‐hydroxylase inhibitors (R)–[O–methyl‐¹¹C]metomidate ([¹¹C]MTO) and (R)–[O–ethyl‐¹¹C]etomidate ([¹¹C]ETO) in adrenocortical incidentalomas with excellent selectivity for positron emission tomography (PET). In our studies [¹⁸F]FETO, (the [¹⁸F]fluoroethyl ester of etomidate, (R)‐1‐(1‐phenylethyl)‐1H‐imidazole‐5‐carboxylic acid, 2′‐[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl ester), an analogue of [¹¹C]MTO and [¹¹C]ETO was chosen due to the suspected similarity of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, and was prepared in the following two step procedure: First, [¹⁸F]fluoride was reacted with 2‐bromoethyl triflate using the kryptofix/acetonitrile method to yield 2–bromo‐[¹⁸F]fluoroethane ([¹⁸F]BFE). In the second step, [¹⁸F]BFE was reacted with the tetrabutylammonium salt of (R)‐1‐(1‐phenylethyl)‐1H‐imidazole‐5‐carboxylic acid to yield [¹⁸F]FETO, a novel inhibitor of the 11β‐hydroxylase. The proposed synthesis of [¹⁸F]FETO allows the production of sufficient amounts of this new PET‐tracer to serve 1–2 patients with an overall synthesis time of less than 80 min. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

One‐step reductive etherification of 4‐[18F]fluoro‐benzaldehyde with decaborane

Reductive coupling reactions between 4‐[¹⁸F]fluoro‐benzaldehyde ([¹⁸F] 1 ) and different alcohols by use of decaborane (B₁₀H₁₄) as reducing agent have the potential to synthesize 4‐[¹⁸F]fluoro‐benzylethers in one step. [¹⁸F] 1 was synthesized from 4‐trimethylammonium benzaldehyde (triflate salt) via a standard fluorination procedure (K[¹⁸F]F/Kryptofix^® 222) in dimethylformamide at 90°C for 25 min and purified by solid‐phase extraction. Subsequently, reductive etherifications of [¹⁸F] 1 were performed as one‐step reactions with primary and secondary alcohols, mediated by B₁₀H₁₄ in acetonitrile at 60°C. Various 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzyl ethers (6 examples are shown) were obtained within 1–2 h reaction time in decay‐corrected radiochemical yields of 12–45%. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of n.c.a. 4‐[18F]fluorophenol in diaryl ether syntheses of 2‐(4‐[18F]fluorophenoxy)‐benzylamines

The availability of no‐carrier‐added (n.c.a.) 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenol offers the possibility of introducing the 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenoxy moiety into potential radiopharmaceuticals. Besides alkyl–aryl ether synthesis using n.c.a. 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenol the diaryl ether coupling is an attractive synthetic method to enlarge the spectrum of interesting labelling procedures. As examples the syntheses of n.c.a. 2‐(4‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenoxy)‐N,N‐dimethylbenzylamine and n.c.a. 2‐(4‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenoxy)‐N‐methylbenzylamine were realized by an Ullmann ether synthesis of corresponding 2‐bromobenzoic acid amides using tetrakis(acetonitrile)copper(I) hexafluorophosphate as catalyst and a subsequent reduction of the amides formed. The radiochemical yield of the coupling varied between 5 and 65% based on labelled 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenol. Both compounds are structural analogues of recently published radiotracers for imaging the serotonin reuptake transporter sites (SERT). However, in vitro binding assays of both molecules showed only a low affinity towards monoamine transporters. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of a phenolic precursor and its efficient O‐[18F]fluoroethylation with purified no‐carrier‐added [18F]2‐fluoroethyl brosylate as the labeling agent

[¹⁸F]2‐Fluoroethyl‐p‐toluenesulfonate also called [¹⁸F]2‐fluoroethyl tosylate has been widely used for labeling radioligands for positron emission tomography (PET). [¹⁸F]2‐Fluoroethyl‐4‐bromobenzenesulfonate, also called [¹⁸F]2‐fluoroethyl brosylate ([¹⁸F]F(CH₂)₂OBs), was used as an alternative radiolabeling agent to prepare [¹⁸F]FEOHOMADAM, a fluoroethoxy derivative of HOMADAM, by O‐fluoroethylating the phenolic precursor. Purified by reverse‐phase HPLC, the no‐carrier‐added [¹⁸F]F(CH₂)₂OBs was obtained in an average radiochemical yield (RCY) of 35%. The reaction of the purified and dried [¹⁸F]F(CH₂)₂OBs with the phenolic precursor was performed by heating in DMF and successfully produced [¹⁸F]FEOHOMADAM, after HPLC purification, in RCY of 21%. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fully automated synthesis and purification of 4‐(2′‐methoxyphenyl)‐1‐[2′‐(N‐2″‐pyridinyl)‐p‐[18F]fluorobenzamido]ethylpiperazine

We have developed an efficient synthesis method for the rapid and high‐yield automated synthesis of 4‐(2′‐methoxyphenyl)‐1‐[2′‐(N‐2″‐pyridinyl)‐p‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzamido]ethylpiperazine (p‐[¹⁸F]MPPF). No‐carrier‐added [¹⁸F]F^? was trapped on a small QMA cartridge and eluted with 70% MeCN(aq) (0.4 mL) containing Kryptofix 222 (2.3 mg) and K₂CO₃ (0.7 mg). The nucleophilic [¹⁸F]fluorination was performed with 3 mg of the nitro‐precursor in DMSO (0.4 mL) at 190 °C for 20 min, followed by the preparative HPLC purification (column: COSMOSIL Cholester, Nacalai Tesque, Kyoto, Japan; mobile phase: MeCN/25 mm AcONH₄/AcOH = 200/300/0.15; flow rate: 6.0 mL/min) to afford p‐[¹⁸F]MPPF (retention time = 9.5 min). p‐[¹⁸F]MPPF was obtained automatically with a radiochemical yield of 38.6 ± 5.0% (decay corrected, n = 5), a specific activity of 214.3 ± 21.1 GBq/µmol, and a radiochemical purity of >99% within a total synthesis time of about 55 min. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Automated commercial synthesis system for preparation of O‐(2‐[18F]fluoroethyl)‐L‐tyrosine by direct nucleophilic displacement on a resin column

A slightly modified automated commercial synthesis system for preparation of O‐(2‐[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl)‐l‐tyrosine (FET), an amino acid tracer for tumor imaging with positron emission tomography, is described. Direct nucleophilic fluorination of [¹⁸F]fluoride with 1,2‐di(4‐methylphenylsulfonyloxy)ethane on a quaternary 4‐(4‐methylpiperidinyl)‐pyridinium functionalized polystyrene anion exchange resin gave 1‐[¹⁸F]‐2‐(4‐methylphenylsulfonyloxy)ethane, then [¹⁸F]fluoroalkylation of l‐tyrosine yielded FET. The overall radiochemical yield with no decay correction was about 8–10%, the whole synthesis time was about 52 min, and the radiochemical purity was above 95%. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of 18F‐labelled biphenyls via SUZUKI cross‐coupling with 4‐[18F]fluoroiodobenzene

The SUZUKI reaction of organoboron compounds with 4‐[¹⁸F]fluoroiodobenzene has been developed as a novel radiolabelling technique in ¹⁸F chemistry. The cross‐coupling reaction of p‐tolylboronic acid with 4‐[¹⁸F]fluoroiodobenzene was used to screen different palladium complexes, bases and solvents. Optimized reaction conditions (Pd₂(dba)₃, Cs₂CO₃, acetonitrile, 60°C for 5 min) were further applied to the synthesis of various ¹⁸F‐labelled biphenyls bearing different functional groups. The reaction proceeded in excellent radiochemical yields of up to 94% within 5 min while showing good compatibility to many functional groups. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis,radiofluorination and first evaluation of (±)‐[18F]MDL 100907 as serotonin 5‐HT2A receptor antagonist for PET

In some psychiatric disorders 5‐HT_2A receptors play an important role. In order to investigate those in vivo there is an increasing interest in obtaining a metabolically stable, subtype selective and high affinity radioligand for receptor binding studies using positron emission tomography (PET). Combining the excellent in vivo properties of [¹¹C]MDL 100907 for PET imaging of 5‐HT_2A receptors and the more suitable half‐life of fluorine‐18, MDL 100907 was radiofluorinated in four steps using 1‐(2‐bromoethyl)‐4‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzene as a secondary labelling precursor. The complex reaction required an overall reaction time of 140 min and (±)‐[¹⁸F]MDL 100907 was obtained with a specific activity of at least 30 GBq/µmol (EOS) and an overall radiochemical yield of 1–2%. In order to verify its binding to 5‐HT_2A receptors, in vitro rat brain autoradiography was conducted showing the typical distribution of 5‐HT_2A receptors and a very low non‐specific binding of about 6% in frontal cortex, using ketanserin or spiperone for blocking. Thus, [¹⁸F]MDL 100907 appears to be a promising new 5‐HT_2A PET ligand. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of N‐(3‐[18F]Fluoropropyl)‐2β‐carbomethoxy‐3β‐(4‐iodophenyl)nortropane ([18F]FP‐β‐CIT)

N‐(3‐[¹⁸F]fluoropropyl)‐2β‐carbomethoxy‐3β‐(4‐iodophenyl)nortropane ([¹⁸F]FP‐β‐CIT) was synthesized in a two‐step reaction sequence. In the first reaction, 1‐bromo‐3‐(nitrobenzene‐4‐sulfonyloxy)‐propane was fluorinated with no‐carrier‐added fluorine‐18. The resulting product, 1‐bromo‐3‐[¹⁸F]‐fluoropropane, was distilled into a cooled reaction vessel containing 2β‐carbomethoxy‐3β‐(4‐iodophenyl)‐nortropane, diisopropylethylamine and potassium iodide. After 30 min, the reaction mixture was subjected to a preparative HPLC purification. The product, [¹⁸F]FP‐β‐CIT, was isolated from the HPLC eluent with solid‐phase extraction and formulated to yield an isotonic, pyrogen‐free and sterile solution of [¹⁸F]FP‐β‐CIT. The overall decay‐corrected radiochemical yield was 25 ± 5%. Radiochemical purity was > 98% and the specific activity was 94 ± 50 GBq/µmol at the end of synthesis. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simplified synthesis of N‐(3‐[18F]fluoropropyl)‐2β‐carbomethoxy‐3β‐(4‐fluorophenyl)nortropane ([18F]β‐CFT‐FP) using [18F]fluoropropyl tosylate as the labelling reagent

A synthesis method has been developed for the labelling of N‐(3‐[¹⁸F]fluoropropyl)‐2β‐carbomethoxy‐3β‐(4‐fluorophenyl)nortropane ([¹⁸F]β‐CFT‐FP), a potential radioligand for visualization of the dopamine transporters by positron emission tomography. The two‐step synthesis includes preparation of [¹⁸F]fluoropropyl tosylate and its use without purification in the fluoroalkylation of 2β‐carbomethoxy‐3β‐(4‐fluorophenyl)nortropane (nor‐β‐CFT). The final product is purified by HPLC. Optimization of the two synthesis steps resulted in a greater than 30% radiochemical yield of [¹⁸F]β‐CFT‐FP (decay corrected to end of bombardment). The synthesis time including HPLC‐purification was approximately 90 min. The radiochemical purity of the final product was higher than 99% and the specific radioactivity at the end of synthesis was typically 20 GBq/µmol. In comparison to alkylation by [¹⁸F]fluoropropyl bromide, the procedure described here results in an improved overall radiochemical yield of [¹⁸F]β‐CFT‐FP in a shorter time. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel probes for imaging amyloid‐β: F‐18 and C‐11 labeling of 2‐(4‐aminostyryl)benzoxazole derivatives

2‐(4‐Methylaminostyryl)‐6‐(2‐[¹⁸F]fluoroethoxy)benzoxazole ([¹⁸F]BF‐168) was prepared and found to be a potential probe for imaging amyloid‐β. The precursor, a 6‐(2‐tosyloxyethoxy)benzoxazole derivative, was fluorinated with [¹⁸F]KF and Kryptofix 222 in acetonitrile, and the crude product purified by semi‐preparative HPLC to give [¹⁸F]BF‐168. The radiochemical purity was >95% and the maximum specific activity was 106 TBq/mmol at the end of synthesis. The synthesis time was 110 min from the end of bombardment. 2‐(4‐[N‐methyl‐¹¹C]methylaminostyryl)‐5‐fluorobenzoxazole ([¹¹C]BF‐145) was also prepared from 2‐(4‐aminostyryl)‐5‐fluorobenzoxazole, [¹¹C]MeI and 5 N NaOH in DMSO, and purified by semi‐preparative HPLC. The radiochemical purity was >95% and the specific activity was 40–70 TBq/mmol at the end of synthesis. The synthesis time was 45 min from the end of bombardment. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of a non‐peptidic PET tracer designed for α5β1 integrin receptor

Arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD)‐containing peptides have been traditionally used as PET probes to noninvasively image angiogenesis, but recently, small selective molecules for α₅β₁ integrin receptor have been developed with promising results. Sixty‐one antagonists were screened, and tert‐butyl (S)‐3‐(2‐((3R,5S)‐1‐(3‐(1‐(2‐fluoroethyl)‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)propanoyl)‐5‐((pyridin‐2‐ylamino)methyl)pyrrolidin‐3‐yloxy)acetamido)‐2‐(2,4,6‐trimethylbenzamido)propanoate (FPMt) was selected for the development of a PET tracer to image the expression of α₅β₁ integrin receptors. An alkynyl precursor (PMt) was initially synthesized in six steps, and its radiolabeling was performed according to the azide–alkyne copper(II)‐catalyzed Huisgen's cycloaddition by using 1‐azido‐2‐[¹⁸F]fluoroethane ([¹⁸F]12). Different reaction conditions between PMt and [¹⁸F]12 were investigated, but all of them afforded [¹⁸F]FPMt in 15 min with similar radiochemical yields (80–83%, decay corrected). Overall, the final radiopharmaceutical ([¹⁸F]FPMt) was obtained after a synthesis time of 60–70 min in 42–44% decay‐corrected radiochemical yield. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of pathways to the versatile synthon of no‐carrier‐added 1‐bromo‐4‐[18F]fluorobenzene

The availability of no‐carrier‐added (n.c.a.) 1‐bromo‐4‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzene with high radiochemical yields is important for ¹⁸F‐arylation reactions using metallo‐organic 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenyl compounds (e.g. of lithium or magnesium) or Pd‐catalyzed coupling. In this study, different methods for the preparation of 1‐bromo‐4‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzene by nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions using n.c.a. [¹⁸F]fluoride were examined. Of six pathways compared, symmetrical bis‐(4‐bromphenyl)iodonium bromide proved most useful to achieve the title compound in a direct, one‐step nucleophilic substitution with a radiochemical yield (RCY) of 65% within 10 min. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

No‐carrier added synthesis of 18F‐labelled nucleosides using Stille cross‐coupling reactions with 4‐[18F]fluoroiodobenzene

The radiosyntheses of 5‐(4′‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenyl)‐uridine [¹⁸F]‐11 and 5‐(4′‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenyl)‐2′‐deoxy‐uridine [¹⁸F]‐12 are described. The 5‐(4′‐[¹⁸F]fluoro‐phenyl)‐substituted nucleosides were prepared via a Stille cross‐coupling reaction with 4‐[¹⁸F]fluoroiodobenzene followed by basic hydrolysis using 1 M potassium hy‐droxide. The Stille cross‐coupling reaction was optimized by screening various palladium complexes, additives and solvents. By using optimized labelling conditions (Pd₂(dba)₃/CuI/AsPh₃ in DMF/dioxane (1:1), 20 min at 65°C), 550 MBq of [4‐¹⁸F]fluoroiodobenzene could be converted into 120 MBq (33%, decay‐corrected) of 5‐(4′‐[¹⁸F]fluorophenyl)‐2′‐deoxy‐uridine [¹⁸F]‐12 within 40 min, including HPLC purification. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of 18F‐labelled stilbenes from 4‐[18F]fluorobenz‐aldehyde using the Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction

The first application of the Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction in ¹⁸F‐chemistry is described. This carbonyl‐olefination reaction was performed via a ‘multi‐step/one‐pot’ reaction by the coupling of benzylic phosphonic acid esters (3,5‐bis‐methoxymethoxybenzyl)‐phosphonic acid diethyl ester 2e , (4‐methoxy‐methoxybenzyl)‐phosphonic acid diethyl ester 3e and (4‐dimethyl‐aminobenzyl)phosphonic acid diethyl ester 4d ) with 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzaldehyde to give the corresponding ¹⁸F‐labelled stilbenes [¹⁸F]2g , [¹⁸F]3g and [¹⁸F]4e exclusively as the expected E‐isomers. The radiochemical yields ranged from 9% to 22% (based upon [¹⁸F]fluoride, including HPLC purification). The specific activity reached up to 90 GBq/µmol. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A facile automated synthesis of N‐succinimidyl 4‐[18F]fluorobenzoate ([18F]SFB) for 18F‐labeled cell‐penetrating peptide as PET tracer

A fully automated synthesis of N‐succinimidyl 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzoate ([¹⁸F]SFB) was carried out by a convenient three‐step, one‐pot procedure on the modified TRACERlab FX_FN synthesizer, including [¹⁸F]fluorination of ethyl 4‐(trimethylammonium triflate)benzoate as the precursor, saponification of the ethyl 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzoate with aqueous tetrapropylammonium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide, and conversion of 4‐[¹⁸F]fluorobenzoate salt ([¹⁸F]FBA) to [¹⁸F]SFB treated with N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethyl‐O‐(N‐succinimidyl)uranium tetrafluoroborate (TSTU). The purified [¹⁸F]SFB was used for the labeling of Tat membrane‐penetrating peptide (containing the Arg‐Lys‐Lys‐Arg‐Arg‐Arg‐Arg‐Arg‐Arg‐Arg‐Arg‐Pro‐Leu‐Gly‐Leu‐Ala‐Gly‐Glu‐Glu‐Glu‐Glu‐Glu‐Glu‐Glu sequence, [¹⁸F]CPP) through radiofluorination of lysine amino groups. The uncorrected radiochemical yields of [¹⁸F]SFB were as high as 25–35% (based on [¹⁸F]fluoride) (n=10) with a synthesis time of～40 min. [¹⁸F]CPP was produced in an uncorrected radiochemical yields of 10–20% (n=5) within 30 min (based on [¹⁸F]SFB). The radiochemical purities of [¹⁸F]SFB and [¹⁸F]CPP were greater than 95%. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.