18F labeling of arenes

Silver-promoted (radio)fluorination of unsaturated carbamates via a radical process

The intramolecular fluorocyclization of unsaturated carbamates is described here using a hypervalent iodine reagent in the presence of a silver catalyst. Both (hetero)aryl-substituted olefins and acrylamides can be utilized as effective substrates. Preliminary mechanistic investigations suggest that the reaction proceeds via a cyclization/1,2-(hetero)aryl migration/fluorination cascade involving an unusual radical process. Furthermore, starting from no-carrier-added [¹⁸F]TBAF, a simple one-pot, two-step cascade method was developed for the generation of ¹⁸F-labeled heterocycles with high radiochemical purity.

Fluorinative ring-opening of cyclopropanes by hypervalent iodine reagents. An efficient method for 1,3-oxyfluorination and 1,3-difluorination

A new method is presented for 1,3-difluorination and 1,3-oxyfluorination reactions. The process is based on iodonium mediated opening of 1,1-disubstituted cyclopropanes. The reaction proceeds with high chemo- and regioselectivity under mild reaction conditions typically at room temperature in a couple of hours. The reaction probably occurs via electrophilic ring-opening of cyclopropanes.

Mechanistic insights for the photoredox organocatalytic fluorination of aliphatic carbons by anthraquinone using time-resolved and DFT studies

Nanosecond TAS and DFT calculations reveal mechanistic insights for photoredox fluorination of aliphatic C–H bonds and evidence of an anthraquinone–Selectfluor® exciplex.

18F-Fluoroform: a 18F-trifluoromethylating agent for the synthesis of SCF218F-aromatic derivatives

A new protocol for the synthesis of SCF₂¹⁸F-aromatic derivatives from ¹⁸F-fluoroform is described.

Metal-free 18F-labeling of aryl-CF2H via nucleophilic radiofluorination and oxidative C-H activation

A metal-free and selective method to form [18F]aryl-CF2H through nucleophilic radiofluorination of benzyl (pseudo)halides and oxidative C-H activation of benzylic C-H bonds has been developed. The method is operationally simple and tolerates a variety of electron-neutral/deficient arenes and heteroarenes.

Mechanism of Silver-Mediated Geminal Difluorination of Styrenes with a Fluoroiodane Reagent: Insights into Lewis-Acid-Activation Model

Fluorination mediated by the cyclic hypervalent fluoroiodane reagent (1) often requires an exogenous Lewis acid. The widely accepted Lewis-acid-activation model is that a given Lewis acid binds to the oxygen atom of 1 (O-coordination) to polarize the I-O bond. Computational studies of silver-mediated geminal difluorination of styrenes with 1 reveal a new "F-coordination" model that is energetically much preferred over the commonly accepted "O-coordination" model. The calculations rationalize the regioselective formation of the geminal difluorination product.

Copper-Mediated Radiofluorination of Arylstannanes with [18F]KF

A copper-mediated nucleophilic radiofluorination of aryl- and vinylstannanes with [¹⁸F]KF is described. This method is fast, uses commercially available reagents, and is compatible with both electron-rich and electron-deficient arene substrates. This method has been applied to the manual synthesis of a variety of clinically relevant radiotracers including protected [¹⁸F]F-phenylalanine and [¹⁸F]F-DOPA. In addition, an automated synthesis of [¹⁸F]MPPF is demonstrated that delivers a clinically validated dose of 200 ± 20 mCi with a high specific activity of 2400 ± 900 Ci/mmol.

Radiosynthesis and preliminary PET evaluation of (18)F-labeled 2-(1-(3-fluorophenyl)-2-oxo-5-(pyrimidin-2-yl)-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)benzonitrile for imaging AMPA receptors

To prompt the development of (18)F-labeled positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor, we have prepared (18)F-labeled 2-(1-(3-fluorophenyl)-2-oxo-5-(pyrimidin-2-yl)-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)benzonitrile ([(18)F]8). The radiosynthesis was achieved by a one-pot two-step method that utilized a spirocyclic hypervalent iodine(III) mediated radiofluorination to prepare the (18)F-labeled 1-bromo-3-fluorobenzene ([(18)F]15) intermediate with K(18)F. A subsequent copper(I) iodide mediated coupling reaction was carried out with 2-(2-oxo-5-(pyrimidin-2-yl)-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)benzonitrile (10) to [(18)F]8 in 10±2% uncorrected radiochemical yield relative to starting (18)F-fluoride with >99% radiochemical purity and 29.6±7.4Gbq/μmol specific activity at the time of injection. PET imaging studies with the title radiotracer in normal mice demonstrated good brain uptake (peak standardized uptake value (SUV)=2.3±0.1) and warrants further in vivo validation.

Synthesis of (18) F-Difluoromethylarenes from Aryl (Pseudo) Halides

A general method for the synthesis of [(18) F]difluoromethylarenes from [(18) F]fluoride for radiopharmaceutical discovery is reported. The method is practical, operationally simple, tolerates a wide scope of functional groups, and enables the labeling of a variety of arenes and heteroarenes with radiochemical yields (RCYs, not decay-corrected) from 10 to 60 %. The (18) F-fluorination precursors are readily prepared from aryl chlorides, bromides, iodides, and triflates. Seven (18) F-difluoromethylarene drug analogues and radiopharmaceuticals including Claritin, fluoxetine (Prozac), and [(18) F]DAA1106 were synthesized to show the potential of the method for applications in PET radiopharmaceutical design.

Unexpected Behavior of the Heaviest Halogen Astatine in the Nucleophilic Substitution of Aryliodonium Salts

Aryliodonium salts have become precursors of choice for the synthesis of (18) F-labeled tracers for nuclear imaging. However, little is known on the reactivity of these compounds with heavy halides, that is, radioiodide and astatide, at the radiotracer scale. In the first comparative study of radiohalogenation of aryliodonium salts with (125) I(-) and (211) At(-) , initial experiments on a model compound highlight the higher reactivity of astatide compared to iodide, which could not be anticipated from the trends previously observed within the halogen series. Kinetic studies indicate a significant difference in activation energy (Ea =23.5 and 17.1 kcal mol(-1) with (125) I(-) and (211) At(-) , respectively). Quantum chemical calculations suggest that astatination occurs via the monomeric form of an iodonium complex whereas iodination occurs via a heterodimeric iodonium intermediate. The good to excellent regioselectivity of halogenation and high yields achieved with diversely substituted aryliodonium salts indicate that this class of compounds is a promising alternative to the stannane chemistry currently used for heavy radiohalogen labeling of tracers in nuclear medicine.

Synthesis of meta-substituted [(18)F]3-fluoro-4-aminopyridine via direct radiofluorination of pyridine N-oxides

Due to their electron-rich aromatic structure, nucleophilic (radio)fluorination of pyridines is challenging, especially at the meta position. In this paper, we describe the first example of direct fluorination of a pyridine N-oxide to produce a meta fluorinated pyridine. Specifically, fluorination of 3-bromo-4-nitropyridine N-oxide produced in several minutes 3-fluoro-4-nitropyridine N-oxide in moderate yield at room temperature. This intermediate compound was later converted to 3-fluoro-4-aminopyridine easily by catalytic hydrogenation. Furthermore, this approach was successfully applied for labeling with fluorine-18. The use of pyridine N-oxides for the preparation of fluoropyridines is unprecedented in the chemical literature and has the potential to offer a new way for the synthesis of these important structures in pharmaceuticals and radiopharmaceuticals.

Synthesis of 3-fluoroalkenyl-3-trifluoromethyl-2-oxindoles by the reaction of indoline-2,3-diones with difluoromethylene phosphabetaine

An unprecedent reaction of indoline-2,3-diones and (triphenylphosphonio)difluoroacetate (PDFA) afforded novel 3-fluoroalkenyl-3-trifluoromethyl-2-oxindoles in moderate to excellent yields. These products could be transformed into other trifluoromethylated oxindole derivatives.

(18)F-Labeling of Arenes and Heteroarenes for Applications in Positron Emission Tomography

Diverse radiochemistry is an essential component of nuclear medicine; this includes imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET). As such, PET can track diseases at an early stage of development, help patient care planning through personalized medicine and support drug discovery programs. Fluorine-18 is the most frequently used radioisotope in PET radiopharmaceuticals for both clinical and preclinical research. Its physical and nuclear characteristics (97% β(+) decay, 109.8 min half-life, 635 keV positron energy) and high specific activity make it an attractive nuclide for labeling and molecular imaging. Arenes and heteroarenes are privileged candidates for (18)F-incorporation as they are metabolically robust and therefore widely used by medicinal chemists and radiochemists alike. For many years, the range of (hetero)arenes amenable to (18)F-fluorination was limited by the lack of chemically diverse precursors, and of radiochemical methods allowing (18)F-incorporation in high selectivity and efficiency (radiochemical yield and purity, specific activity, and radio-scalability). The appearance of late-stage fluorination reactions catalyzed by transition metal or small organic molecules (organocatalysis) has encouraged much research on the use of these activation manifolds for (18)F-fluorination. In this piece, we review all of the reactions known to date to install the (18)F substituent and other key (18)F-motifs (e.g., CF3, CHF2, OCF3, SCF3, OCHF2) of medicinal relevance onto (hetero)arenes. The field has changed significantly in the past five years, and the current trend suggests that the radiochemical space available for PET applications will expand rapidly in the near future.

An Investigation of (Diacetoxyiodo)arenes as Precursors for Preparing No-Carrier-Added [(18)F]Fluoroarenes from Cyclotron-Produced [(18)F]Fluoride Ion

Treatment of (diacetoxyiodo)arenes (1a-1u) with cyclotron-produced [(18)F]fluoride ion rapidly affords no-carrier-added [(18)F]fluoroarenes (2a-2u) in useful yields and constitutes a new method for converting substituted iodoarenes into substituted [(18)F]fluoroarenes in just two steps.

Improving selectivity in catalytic hydrodefluorination by limiting SNV reactivity

Competition of HM, SBM and S_NV in hydrodefluorination can lead to low selectivity which can be improved via solvent change.

Considerations in the Development of Reversibly Binding PET Radioligands for Brain Imaging

The development of reversibly binding radioligands for imaging brain proteins in vivo, such as enzymes, neurotransmitter transporters, receptors and ion channels, with positron emission tomography (PET) is keenly sought for biomedical studies of neuropsychiatric disorders and for drug discovery and development, but is recognized as being highly challenging at the medicinal chemistry level. This article aims to compile and discuss the main considerations to be taken into account by chemists embarking on programs of radioligand development for PET imaging of brain protein targets.

A Fluorination/Aryl Migration/Cyclization Cascade for the Metal-Free Synthesis of Fluoro-Benzoxazepines

Fluorinated organic molecules are of high interest for many applications across chemical and medical disciplines. Efficient methods for the synthesis of such compounds are thus needed. Within this work, application of the bench-stable cyclic hypervalent iodine(III) fluoro reagent 1 facilitated the development of an efficient, metal-free method for the preparation of the novel class of 4-fluoro-1,3-benzoxazepines starting from readily available styrenes. The efficacy and broad applicability of this concept is demonstrated by the synthesis of 20 structurally diverse congeners in high yields, regio-, and diastereoselectivities. The presented method provides complementary chemoselectivity when compared to the common, commercially available electrophilic fluorination reagents, such as selectfluor. First mechanistic investigations with isotopically labeled substrates reveal a complex reaction mechanism, proceeding via an unusual fluorination/1,2-aryl migration/cyclization cascade.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel N-F reagent derived from the ethano-Tröger's base: (1)J(FN) coupling constants as a signature for the N-F bond

Methylation of 2,8-dimethyl-6H,12H-5,11-ethanodibenzo[b,f][1,5]-diazocine (ethano-Tröger's base) with methyl iodide followed by ion metathesis and fluorination with N-fluoro-2,3,4,5,6-pentachloropyridinium triflate affords a new electrophilic N-F reagent, that is more reactive than Selectfluor. 2D (19)F-(15)N HMQC experiments provide (1)JNF coupling constants which are diagnostic for the N-F functional group.

Synthesis of [18F]Arenes via the Copper-Mediated [18F]Fluorination of Boronic Acids

A copper-mediated radiofluorination of aryl- and vinylboronic acids with K¹⁸F is described. This method exhibits high functional group tolerance and is effective for the radiofluorination of a range of electron-deficient, -neutral, and -rich aryl-, heteroaryl-, and vinylboronic acids. This method has been applied to the synthesis of [¹⁸F]FPEB, a PET radiotracer for quantifying metabotropic glutamate 5 receptors.

Difluorocarbene-Derived Trifluoromethylthiolation and [(18)F]Trifluoromethylthiolation of Aliphatic Electrophiles

The first trifluoromethylthiolation and [(18)F]trifluoromethylthiolation of alkyl electrophiles with in situ generated difluorocarbene in the presence of elemental sulfur and external (radioactive) fluoride ion is described. This transition-metal-free approach is high yielding, compatible with a variety of functional groups, and operated under mild reaction conditions. The conceptual advantage of this exogenous-fluoride-mediated transformation enables unprecedented syntheses of [(18)F]CF3S-labeled molecules from most commonly used [(18)F]fluoride ions. The rapid radiochemical reaction time (≤1 min) and high functional-group tolerance allow access to a variety of aliphatic [(18)F]CF3S compounds in high yields.

Organomediated Enantioselective (18)F Fluorination for PET Applications

The first organomediated asymmetric (18)F fluorination has been accomplished using a chiral imidazolidinone and [(18)F]N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide. The method provides access to enantioenriched (18)F-labeled α-fluoroaldehydes (>90% ee), which are versatile chiral (18)F synthons for the synthesis of radiotracers. The utility of this process is demonstrated with the synthesis of the PET (positron emission tomography) tracer (2S,4S)-4-[(18)F]fluoroglutamic acid.

Coordination diversity in hydrogen-bonded homoleptic fluoride-alcohol complexes modulates reactivity

The nucleophilic reactivity of fluoride ion is altered in the presence of hydrogen-bond donors, including alcohols. Relatively little is known about the coordination involved; to rectify this, the X-ray structures of fourteen novel fluoride-alcohol complexes with tetrabutylammonium as the counterion have been determined. The coordination number varies from two to four depending on the steric bulk of the alcohol and is closely linked to trends in reactivity. This diversity in coordination stoichiometry is unprecedented but significant, as it implies differences in the ability of the fluoride-alcohol complexes to dissociate in solution with release of a more active and/or selective fluoride source.

(18)F-Labeling of Aryl-SCF3, -OCF3 and -OCHF2 with [(18)F]Fluoride

We report that halogenophilic silver(I) triflate permits halogen exchange (halex) nucleophilic (18)F-fluorination of aryl-OCHFCl, -OCF2Br and -SCF2Br precursors under mild conditions. This Ag(I)-mediated process allows for the first time access to a range of (18)F-labeled aryl-OCHF2, -OCF3 and -SCF3 derivatives, inclusive of [(18)F]riluzole. The (18)F-labeling of these medicinally important motifs expands the radiochemical space available for PET applications.

Development of Fluorine-18 Labeled Metabolically Activated Tracers for Imaging of Drug Efflux Transporters with Positron Emission Tomography

Increased activity of efflux transporters, e.g., P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), at the blood-brain barrier is a pathological hallmark of many neurological diseases, and the resulting multiple drug resistance represents a major clinical challenge. Noninvasive imaging of transporter activity can help to clarify the underlying mechanisms of drug resistance and facilitate diagnosis, patient stratification, and treatment monitoring. We have developed a metabolically activated radiotracer for functional imaging of P-gp/BCRP activity with positron emission tomography (PET). In preclinical studies, the tracer showed excellent initial brain uptake and clean conversion to the desired metabolite, although at a sluggish rate. Blocking with P-gp/BCRP modulators led to increased levels of brain radioactivity; however, dynamic PET did not show differential clearance rates between treatment and control groups. Our results provide proof-of-concept for development of prodrug tracers for imaging of P-gp/BCRP function in vivo but also highlight some challenges associated with this strategy.

Applications of Fluorine in Medicinal Chemistry

The role of fluorine in drug design and development is expanding rapidly as we learn more about the unique properties associated with this unusual element and how to deploy it with greater sophistication. The judicious introduction of fluorine into a molecule can productively influence conformation, pKa, intrinsic potency, membrane permeability, metabolic pathways, and pharmacokinetic properties. In addition, (18)F has been established as a useful positron emitting isotope for use with in vivo imaging technology that potentially has extensive application in drug discovery and development, often limited only by convenient synthetic accessibility to labeled compounds. The wide ranging applications of fluorine in drug design are providing a strong stimulus for the development of new synthetic methodologies that allow more facile access to a wide range of fluorinated compounds. In this review, we provide an update on the effects of the strategic incorporation of fluorine in drug molecules and applications in positron emission tomography.

Catalytic Intramolecular Aminofluorination, Oxyfluorination, and Carbofluorination with a Stable and Versatile Hypervalent Fluoroiodine Reagent

Application of a fluoroiodine analogue of the Togni reagent was studied in fluorocyclization reactions. In the presence of a transition-metal catalyst the applied fluoroiodine reagent can be used for aminofluorination, oxyfluorination, and carbofluorination reactions. The described procedure has a very broad synthetic scope for preparation of functionalized hetero- and isocyclic compounds having a tertiary fluorine substituent.