Synthesis of 18F‐Labelled β‐Lactams by Using the Kinugasa Reaction

Owing to their broad spectrum of biological activities and low toxicity, β‐lactams are attractive lead structures for the design of novel molecular probes. However, the synthesis of positron emission tomography (PET)‐isotope‐labelled β‐lactams has not yet been reported. Herein, we describe the simple preparation of radiofluorinated β‐lactams by using the fast Kinugasa reaction between ¹⁸F‐labelled nitrone [¹⁸F]‐ 1 and alkynes of different reactivity. Additionally, ¹⁸F‐labelled fused β‐lactams were obtained through the reaction of a cyclic nitrone 7 with radiofluorinated alkynes [¹⁸F]‐ 6 a , b . Radiochemical yields of the Kinugasa reaction products could be significantly increased by the use of different Cu^I ligands, which additionally allowed a reduction in the amount of precursor and/or reaction time. Model radiofluorinated β‐lactam‐peptide and protein conjugates ([¹⁸F]‐ 10 and ¹⁸F‐labelled BSA conjugate) were efficiently obtained in high yield under mild conditions (aq. MeCN, ambient temperature) within a short reaction time, demonstrating the suitability of the developed method for radiolabelling of sensitive molecules such as biopolymers.     

Sulfonyl Fluoride‐Based Prosthetic Compounds as Potential 18F Labelling Agents

Nucleophilic incorporation of [¹⁸F]F^? under aqueous conditions holds several advantages in radiopharmaceutical development, especially with the advent of complex biological pharmacophores. Sulfonyl fluorides can be prepared in water at room temperature, yet they have not been assayed as a potential means to ¹⁸F‐labelled biomarkers for PET chemistry. We developed a general route to prepare bifunctional 4‐formyl‐, 3‐formyl‐, 4‐maleimido‐ and 4‐oxylalkynl‐arylsulfonyl [¹⁸F]fluorides from their sulfonyl chloride analogues in 1:1 mixtures of acetonitrile, THF, or tBuOH and Cs[¹⁸F]F/Cs₂CO_3(aq.) in a reaction time of 15 min at room temperature. With the exception of 4‐N‐maleimide‐benzenesulfonyl fluoride ( 3 ), pyridine could be used to simplify radiotracer purification by selectively degrading the precursor without significantly affecting observed yields. The addition of pyridine at the start of [¹⁸F]fluorination (1:1:0.8 tBuOH/Cs₂CO_3(aq.)/pyridine) did not negatively affect yields of 3‐formyl‐2,4,6‐trimethylbenzenesulfonyl [¹⁸F]fluoride ( 2 ) and dramatically improved the yields of 4‐(prop‐2‐ynyloxy)benzenesulfonyl [¹⁸F]fluoride ( 4 ). The N‐arylsulfonyl‐4‐dimethylaminopyridinium derivative of 4 ( 14 ) can be prepared and incorporates ¹⁸F efficiently in solutions of 100 % aqueous Cs₂CO₃ (10 mg mL^?1). As proof‐of‐principle, [¹⁸F] 2 was synthesised in a preparative fashion [88(±8) % decay corrected (n=6) from start‐of‐synthesis] and used to radioactively label an oxyamino‐modified bombesin(6–14) analogue [35(±6) % decay corrected (n=4) from start‐of‐synthesis]. Total preparation time was 105–109 min from start‐of‐synthesis. Although the ¹⁸F‐peptide exhibited evidence of proteolytic defluorination and modification, our study is the first step in developing an aqueous, room temperature ¹⁸F labelling strategy.     

Efficient Synthesis of Novel Coumarin‐3‐carboxamides (=2‐Oxo‐2H‐1‐benzopyran‐3‐carboxamides) Containing Lipophilic Spacers

The novel coumarin‐3‐carboxamides (=2‐oxo‐2H‐1‐benzopyran‐3‐carboxamides) 5a – 5g containing lipophilic spacers were synthesized through the Ugi‐four‐component reaction (Scheme 1). The reactions of aromatic aldehydes 1 , 4,4′‐oxybis[benzenamine] or 4,4′‐methylenebis[benzenamine] as diamine 2 , coumarin‐3‐carboxylic acid (=2‐oxo‐2H‐benzopyran‐3‐carboxylic acid; 3 ), and alkyl isocyanides 4 lead to the desired substituted coumarin‐3‐carboxamides 5a – 5g at room temperature with high bond‐forming efficiency. These novel coumarin derivatives exhibit brilliant fluorescence at 544 nm in CHCl₃.     

Pd0‐Mediated Rapid Cross‐Coupling Reactions,the Rapid C‐[11C]Methylations,Revolutionarily Advancing the Syntheses of Short‐Lived PET Molecular Probes

Positron emission tomography is a noninvasive method for monitoring drug (or diagnostic) behavior and its localization on the target molecules in the living systems, including the human body, using a short‐lived positron‐emitting radionuclide. New methodologies for introducing representative short‐lived radionuclides, ¹¹C and ¹⁸F, into the carbon frameworks of biologically active organic compounds have been established by developing rapid C‐[¹¹C]methylations and C‐[¹⁸F]fluoromethylations using rapid Pd⁰‐mediated cross‐coupling reactions between [¹¹C]methyl iodide (sp³‐hybridized carbon) and an excess amount of organotributylstannane or organoboronic acid ester having sp²(phenyl, heteroaromatic, or alkenyl), sp(alkynyl), or sp³(benzyl and cinnamyl)‐hybridized carbons; and [¹⁸F]fluoromethyl halide (iodide or bromide) and an organoboronic acid ester, respectively. These rapid reactions provide a firm foundation for an efficient and general synthesis of short‐lived ¹¹C‐ or ¹⁸F‐labeled PET molecular probes to promote in vivo molecular imaging studies.     

N,N,N‐Trimethyl‐5‐[(2,3,5,6‐tetrafluorophenoxy)carbonyl]pyridin‐2‐aminium trifluoromethanesulfonate a precursor for the synthesis of 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluorophenyl 6‐[18F]‐fluoronicotinate

The synthesis, recrystallization, and X‐ray deterimination of N,N,N‐trimethyl‐5‐[(2,3,5,6‐tetrafluorophenoxy)carbonyl]pyridin‐2‐aminium trifluoromethanesulfonate (PyTFP‐precursor), C₁₅H₁₃F₄N₂O₂⁺·CF₃SO₃⁻, is described. This triflate salt precursor is required for the synthesis of 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluorophenyl 6‐[¹⁸F]‐fluoronicotinate ([¹⁸F]FPyTFP), a prosthetic group used to radiolabel peptides for positron emission tomography (PET), as peptides are increasingly being used as PET‐imaging probes in nuclear medicine. Radiolabeling of peptides is typically done using a `prosthetic group', a small synthon to which the radioisotope is attached in the first step, followed by attachment to the peptide in the second step. During the synthesis of the PyTFP‐precursor, displacement of a Cl atom with trimethylamine gas and anion replacement with a triflate counter‐ion is critical, as incomplete replacement would hinder radioisotopic incorporation of nucleophilic fluorine‐18 and result in diminished radiochemical yields. The structural determination of the PyTFP‐precursor by X‐ray crystallography helped confirm the anion exchange of chloride with triflate.     

A General Copper‐Mediated Nucleophilic 18F Fluorination of Arenes

Molecules labeled with fluorine‐18 are used as radiotracers for positron emission tomography. An important challenge is the labeling of arenes not amenable to aromatic nucleophilic substitution (S_NAr) with [¹⁸F]F^?. In the ideal case, the ¹⁸F fluorination of these substrates would be performed through reaction of [¹⁸F]KF with shelf‐stable readily available precursors using a broadly applicable method suitable for automation. Herein, we describe the realization of these requirements with the production of ¹⁸F arenes from pinacol‐derived aryl boronic esters (arylBPin) upon treatment with [¹⁸F]KF/K₂₂₂ and [Cu(OTf)₂(py)₄] (OTf=trifluoromethanesulfonate, py=pyridine). This method tolerates electron‐poor and electron‐rich arenes and various functional groups, and allows access to 6‐[¹⁸F]fluoro‐L ‐DOPA, 6‐[¹⁸F]fluoro‐m‐tyrosine, and the translocator protein (TSPO) PET ligand [¹⁸F]DAA1106.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-(2-[<Superscript>18</Superscript>F]fluoroethyl)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-tyrosine and its biological evaluation in B16 melanoma-bearing mice as PET tracer for tumor imaging

O-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ([¹⁸F]FET), a fluorine-18 labeled analogue of tyrosine, has been synthesized and biologically evaluated in tumor-bearing mice. The whole synthesis procedure is completed within 50 min. The radiochemical yield is about 40% (no decay corrected) and radiochemical purity more than 97% after simplified solid phase extraction. [¹⁸F]FET shows rapid, high uptake and long retention in the tumor as well as low uptake in the brain. The ratios of tumor-to-muscle (T/M) and tumor-to-blood (T/B) of [¹⁸F]FET are similar to those of [¹⁸F]FDG, but the ratios of tumor-to-brain (T/Br) are 2–3 times higher than that of [¹⁸F]FDG. Autoradiography of [¹⁸F]FET demonstrates a remarkable accumulation in melanoma with high contrast. It appears to be a probable competitive candidate for melanoma imaging with PET. Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KJCX1-SW-08) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30371634)     

Synthesis and Derivatization of 1,1‐[18F]Difluorinated Alkenes

A general method for the synthesis of 1,1‐[¹⁸F]difluorinated alkenes from [¹⁸F]fluoride is reported. This transformation is highly regioselective giving the desired ¹⁸F‐fluoroalkenes with radiochemical purities of up to 77 % within 20 minutes and a molar activity (A_m) of 1 GBq μmol^?1. The transformations are operationally simple to perform and were readily translated onto a commercial automated synthesis unit. The resultant 1,1‐[¹⁸F]difluorinated alkene motif is prevalent in numerous drug molecules, and this is the first general method to synthesize this motif with fluorine‐18. ¹⁸F‐fluorinated alkenes are excellent building blocks and participate in a number of post‐labeling transformations to access a range of ¹⁸F‐perfluorinated functional groups that have never before been radiolabeled with non‐carrier‐added [¹⁸F]fluoride. This method considerably expands the range of ¹⁸F‐motifs accessible to radiochemists.     

Synthesis of para‐[18F]Fluorofenbufen Octylamide for PET Imaging of Brain Tumors

Glioma is a brain tumor associated with a poor therapeutic outcome with an average life expectancy of 14 months. Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression is associated with the progression of the tumor and is considered a therapeutic target of chemo agents. Para‐[¹⁸F]Fluorofenbufen octylamide ([¹⁸F]FFOA) was obtained with the radiochemical yield of 16% and specific activity of 4 GBq/μmol, and the IC₅₀ values of COX‐1 and COX‐2 were 26.5 and 32.7 μM, respectively. The stability of cold FFOA in plasma was significantly improved with a half‐life of 30 min, and the uptake ratio of [¹⁸F]FFOA in rats with brain tumor was 1.5 as determined from accumulation of 3.9% injection dose (ID/g) in the brain tumor and 2.5% ID/g in the brain. [¹⁸F]FFOA with COX‐2 micromolar affinity can be used to differentiate between brain tumor and normal region.     

Establishment of a kinetic model for the intramolecular catalyzed hydrolysis of [18F]‐benzylfluoride containing amino acid analogues by linking experimental and DFT studies

In an earlier publication, we suggested that the faster radiodefluorination kinetics of no‐carrier‐added (S)‐3‐(2‐[¹⁸F]fluoromethyl‐phenyl)‐2‐amino‐propionic acid (2‐[¹⁸F]FMLP), as compared to 4‐[¹⁸F]‐fluoromethyl‐l ‐phenylalanine (4‐[¹⁸F]FMLP), was caused by an intramolecular interaction between the CH₂F group on the 2‐position of the phenyl ring and the ammonium group of the amino acid. As the presence of nonradioactive (S)‐3‐(2‐fluoromethyl‐phenyl)‐2‐amino‐propionic acid (2FMLP) in a concentration up from 10^?6 mol/L reduces considerably the defluorination rate due to the formation of dimers, conventional experimental methods, like spectroscopy, cannot be performed for the study of the hydrolysis in no‐carrier‐added conditions occurring at a concentration range of about 5.0 10^?10 mol/L. In the present study, we aim to provide a proof that supports aforementioned hypothesis as well as to establish a kinetic model and to put forward accompanying rate equations for this hydrolysis reaction by combining ab initio quantum chemical calculations and kinetic data. The calculations of the optimized geometries and the corresponding energies of the reactants involved in the hydrolysis of 2‐[¹⁸F]FMLP and 4‐[¹⁸F]FMLP were performed at the DFT[B3LYP/6‐31⁺⁺G**] level of theory. Interpretation of these data reveals that in 2‐[¹⁸F]FMLP three intramolecular hydrogen bond interactions can be identified that are not present in 4‐[¹⁸F]FMLP. The most important interaction is the one between the amino acid ammonium group and the benzylic fluorine atom, rendering the rupture of the C? F bond much more favorable. These findings align with the experimental data and enabled us to put forward the rate expressions that define the unexpected pseudo–zero‐order defluorination reaction of 2‐[¹⁸F]FMLP at neutral pH. This study also proves that in the development of [¹⁸F]‐benzylfluoride containing tracers present‐day quantum chemical calculations are capable of predicting intramolecular interactions, affecting their reactivity toward hydrolysis at the no‐carrier‐added level. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 44: 705–711, 2012     

Determination of Total Radiochemical Purity of [18F]FDG and [18F]FET by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Avoiding TLC Method

The goal of this work was to present two high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method that could be applied for the determination of the total radioactive purity of 2-deoxy-2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-D-glucose ([¹⁸F]FDG) and O-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ([¹⁸F]FET). The separation of [¹⁸F]fluoride ions, [¹⁸F]FET and [¹⁸F]FET intermediate was accomplished on LiChrosper RP-18, 250?×?4 mm, 5 µm (Merck) analytical column. For mobile phase 10 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer at pH7 (A) and acetonitrile (B) was used: 0–2 min: 15% B; 2–12 min: 85% B; 12–15 min: 15% B, respectively. Analysis of [¹⁸F]FDG was performed using LiChrosper 100 NH₂, 250?×?4.5 mm, 5 µm (Merck) analytical column. The initial mobile phase composition was 10 mM KH₂PO₄ buffer (pH7) and acetonitrile (15:85, v/v) and the acetonitrile ratio was decreased to 15% at 2 min after the sample injection and held for 5 min. Complete elution of [¹⁸F]fluoride ions from stationary phases could be achieved by adding 10 mg/mL K[¹⁹F]F to radioactive samples in a ratio 1:1 during the sample preparation. Recovery of [¹⁸F]fluoride ions ranged from 99.5 to 100.6%. The validation of the developed methods showed good results for linearity (r²?=?0.9981–0.9996), specificity (R_S?=?3.7–10.2), repeatability (%Area RSD_%?=?1.2–4.3%) and limit of quantitation (LOQ?=?1.6–4.5 kBq). During the cross-validation similar radiochemical purity values were obtained by the novel HPLC methods and thin layer chromatography performed according to the recommendations of the Ph. Eur. monographs.

     

Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Novel 2,4‐Dihydro‐5‐[4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]‐3H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐ones and Potentiometric Determination of Their pKa in Nonaqueous Solvents

The novel 4‐amino‐ or 4‐aryl‐substituted 2,4‐dihydro‐5‐[(4‐trifluoromethyl)phenyl]‐3H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐ones 3a – 3g were synthesized by reaction of N‐(ethoxycarbonyl)‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzenehydrazonic acid ethyl ester ( 2 ) and primary amines or hydrazine by microwave irradiation. Compounds 3a – 3g were potentiometrically titrated with tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (Bu₄NOH) in four nonaqueous solvents, i.e., ⁱPrOH, ^tBuOH, MeCN, and N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). Also half‐neutralization potential values and the corresponding pK_a values were determined in all cases.     

18F‐Labeling of Aryl‐SCF3, ‐OCF3 and ‐OCHF2 with [18F]Fluoride

We report that halogenophilic silver(I) triflate permits halogen exchange (halex) nucleophilic ¹⁸F‐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 ¹⁸F‐labeled aryl‐OCHF₂, ‐OCF₃ and ‐SCF₃ derivatives, inclusive of [¹⁸F]riluzole. The ¹⁸F‐labeling of these medicinally important motifs expands the radiochemical space available for PET applications.     

Synthesis of Some New 2‐Oxo‐N‐[(10H‐phenothiazin‐10‐yl)alkyl] Derivatives of Azetidine‐1‐carboxamides

The synthesis of a new series of 4‐aryl‐3‐chloro‐2‐oxo‐N‐[3‐(10H‐phenothiazin‐10‐yl)propyl]azetidine‐1‐carboxamides, 4a – 4m , is described. Phenothiazine on reaction with Cl(CH₂)₃Br at room temperature gave 10‐(3‐chloropropyl)‐10H‐phenothiazine ( 1 ), and the latter reacted with urea to yield 1‐[3‐(10H‐phenothiazin‐10‐yl)propyl]urea ( 2 ). Further reaction of 2 with several substituted aromatic aldehydes led to N‐(arylmethylidene)‐N′‐[3‐(phenothiazin‐10‐yl)propyl]ureas 3a – 3m , which, on treatment with ClCH₂COCl in the presence of Et₃N, furnished the desired racemic trans‐2‐oxoazetidin‐1‐carboxamide derivatives 4a – 4m . The structures of all new compounds were confirmed by IR, and ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy, FAB mass spectrometry, and chemical methods.     

Synthesis and Cyclization of 8‐Formyl‐2‐(phenoxymethyl)quinoline‐3‐carboxylic Acids

A facile synthesis of a series of new quinoline‐8‐carbaldehyde compounds, namely 8‐formyl‐2‐(phenoxymethyl)quinoline‐3‐carboxylic acids ( 4a – 4h ) and 13‐oxo‐6,13‐dihydro[1]benzoxepino[3,4‐b]quinoline‐8‐carbaldehyde ( 5a – 5g ) is described, involving the one‐pot synthesis reaction of ethyl 2‐(chloromethyl)‐8‐formylquinoline‐3‐carboxylate ( 3 ) with substituted phenols followed by the intramolecular cyclization reaction via the treatment with polyphosphoric acid (PPA). Quinoline‐8‐carbaldehydes 4a – 4h and 5a – 5g are novel and their structures were supported by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, MS and elemental analysis.     

para‐Functionalized Aryl‐di‐tert‐butylfluorosilanes as Potential Labeling Synthons for 18F Radiopharmaceuticals

Broad spectrum : Novel para‐functionalized aryl‐di‐tert‐butylfluorosilanes, p‐(tBu₂FSi)C₆H₄X (X=functional group), have been made available and broaden the spectrum of silicon‐based ¹⁸F acceptors (SiFAs) for potential PET applications. For example, the [¹⁸F]maleimido derivative 1 has been employed for the synthesis of [¹⁸F] 1 ‐ labeled rat serum albumin (RSA), the applicability of which for PET has been verified by in vivo experiments.

     

Synthesis of [18F]Fluoroarenes by Nucleophilic Radiofluorination of N‐Arylsydnones

A practical method for radiofluorination of anilines with [¹⁸F]fluoride via N ‐arylsydnone intermediates is described. These precursors are stable, easy to handle and facilitate direct and regioselective ¹⁸F‐labeling to prepare [¹⁸F]fluoroarenes. The value of this methodology is further highlighted by successful application to prepare an ¹⁸F‐labeled neuropeptide.     

A facile direct nucleophilic synthesis of O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine ([18F]FET) without HPLC purification

Due to favourable in vivo characteristics, its high specificity and the longer half-life of ¹⁸F (109.8 min) allowing for remote-site delivery, O-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine ([¹⁸F]FET) has gained increased importance for molecular imaging of cerebral tumors. Consequently, the development of simple and efficient production strategies for [¹⁸F]FET could be an important step to further improve the cost-effective availability of [¹⁸F]FET in the clinical environment. In the present study [¹⁸F]FET was synthesized via direct nucleophilic synthesis using an earlier developed chiral precursor, the Ni^II complex of an alkylated (S)-tyrosine Schiff base, Ni-(S)-BPB-(S)-Tyr-OCH₂CH₂OTs. The purification method has been developed via solid phase extraction thereby omitting cumbersome HPLC purification. The suggested SPE purification using combination of reverse phase and strong cation exchange cartridges provided [¹⁸F]FET in high chemical, radiochemical and enantiomeric purity and 35 % radiochemical yield (decay-corrected, 45 min synthesis time). The method was successfully automated using a commercially available synthesis module, Scintomics Hotbox^one. Based on the current results, the proposed production route appears to be well suited for transfer into an automated cassette-type radiosynthesizers without using HPLC.     

Derivatives of Coenzyme F430 with a Covalently Attached α‐Axial Ligand. Part II

Coenzyme F430 pentamethyl ester 2 was partially hydrolyzed to a mixture of the five F430 tetramethyl esters 7 – 11 , which were separated by HPLC and identified by means of a full NMR characterization. The tetramethyl ester with a free COOH group at the side chain at C(3) of F430 was coupled to the N‐terminus of the peptidic spacer? ligand construct 12 selected and studied as described before. The UV/VIS and NMR spectra in CH₂Cl₂/3,3,3‐trifluoroethanol 6 : 1 show that the new derivative, the Ni^II(3³‐dehydroxy‐8³,12²,13³,18²‐tetra‐O‐methyl‐F430‐3³‐yl)‐L ‐prolyl‐L ‐prolyl‐N^π‐methyl‐L ‐histidine methyl ester ( 13 ), is an intramolecular, pentacoordinate, paramagnetic complex. In the same solvent system, the parent 3³,8³,12²,13³,18²‐penta‐O‐methyl‐F430 ( 2 ) is four coordinate and diamagnetic even in the presence of equimolar 1H‐imidazole. Protonation of the axially coordinating histidine residue of 13 gave the diamagnetic tetracoordinate base‐off form, which allowed us to establish the constitution of 13 by NMR.     

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Some New 2,5‐Disubstituted‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole Derivatives

Synthesis of some new oxadiazole derivatives starting from 1,2,3-benzo[d]triazole-1-acetic hydrazide (1) is described. The target compounds 2-(N-substituted-aminocarbonylmethylthio)-5-(1,2,3-benzo[d]triazol-1-ylmethyl)- 1,3,4-oxadiazole (4a—4i) and 2-[2-(N-substituted-aminocarbonyl)ethylthio]-5-(1,2,3-benzo[d]triazol-1-ylmethyl)- 1,3,4-oxadiazole (5a—5i) were obtained in good yields via cyclisation of 1 and subjected to antibacterial activity test against pathogenic bacteria. The halogen containing mono- and di-substituted derivatives showed excellent antibacterial activity compared to other analogues.