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.     

A Resin‐Linker‐Vector Approach to Radiopharmaceuticals Containing 18F: Application in the Synthesis of O‐(2‐[18F]‐Fluoroethyl)‐L‐tyrosine

A Resin‐linker‐vector (RLV) strategy is described for the radiosynthesis of tracer molecules containing the radionuclide ¹⁸F, which releases the labelled vector into solution upon nucleophilic substitution of a polystyrene‐bound arylsulfonate linker with [¹⁸F]‐fluoride ion. Three model linker‐vector molecules 7 a – c containing different alkyl spacer groups were assembled in solution from (4‐chlorosulfonylphenyl)alkanoate esters, exploiting a lipase‐catalysed chemoselective carboxylic ester hydrolysis in the presence of the sulfonate ester as a key step. The linker‐vector systems were attached to aminomethyl polystyrene resin through amide bond formation to give RLVs 8 a – c with acetate, butyrate and hexanoate spacers, which were characterised by using magic‐angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. On fluoridolysis, the RLVs 8 a , b containing the longer spacers were shown to be more effective in the release of the fluorinated model vector (4‐fluorobutyl)phenylcarbamic acid tert‐butyl ester ( 9 ) in NMR kinetic studies and gave superior radiochemical yields (RCY≈60 %) of the ¹⁸F‐labelled vector. The approach was applied to the synthesis of the radiopharmaceutical O‐(2‐[¹⁸F]‐fluoroethyl)‐L ‐tyrosine ([¹⁸F]‐FET), delivering protected [¹⁸F]‐FET in >90 % RCY. Acid deprotection gave [¹⁸F]‐FET in an overall RCY of 41 % from the RLV.     

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.     

Dual Fluorescent‐ and Isotopic‐Labelled Self‐Assembling Vancomycin for in vivo Imaging of Bacterial Infections

The increase of bacterial resistance demands rapid and accurate diagnosis of bacterial infections. Biosurface‐induced supramolecular assembly for diagnosis and therapy has received little attention in detecting bacterial infections. Herein we present a dual fluorescent‐nuclear probe based on self‐assembly of vancomycin (Van) on Gram‐positive bacteria for imaging bacterial infection. A Van‐ and rhodamine‐modified peptide derivative (Rho‐FF‐Van), as the imaging agent, binds to the terminal peptide of the methicillin‐resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and self‐assembles to form nanoaggregates on the surface of MRSA . In an in vivo myositis model, Rho‐FF‐Van results in a significant increased fluorescence signal at the MRSA infected site. Radiolabeled with iodine‐125, Rho‐FF‐Van shows strong radioactive signal in the MRSA ‐infected lungs in a murine model. This novel dual fluorescent and nuclear probe promises a new way for in vivo imaging of bacterial infections.     

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.

     

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.     

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.     

Site‐Selective,Late‐Stage C−H 18F‐Fluorination on Unprotected Peptides for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging

Peptides are often ideal ligands for diagnostic molecular imaging due to their ease of synthesis and tuneable targeting properties. However, labelling unmodified peptides with ¹⁸F for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging presents a number of challenges. Here we show the combination of photoactivated sodium decatungstate and [¹⁸F]‐N‐fluorobenzenesulfonimide effects site‐selective ¹⁸F‐fluorination at the branched position in leucine residues in unprotected and unaltered peptides. This streamlined process provides a means to directly convert native peptides into PET imaging agents under mild aqueous conditions, enabling rapid discovery and development of peptide‐based molecular imaging tools.     

Site‐Selective,Late‐Stage C−H 18F‐Fluorination on Unprotected Peptides for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging

Peptides are often ideal ligands for diagnostic molecular imaging due to their ease of synthesis and tuneable targeting properties. However, labelling unmodified peptides with ¹⁸F for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging presents a number of challenges. Here we show the combination of photoactivated sodium decatungstate and [¹⁸F]‐N‐fluorobenzenesulfonimide effects site‐selective ¹⁸F‐fluorination at the branched position in leucine residues in unprotected and unaltered peptides. This streamlined process provides a means to directly convert native peptides into PET imaging agents under mild aqueous conditions, enabling rapid discovery and development of peptide‐based molecular imaging tools.     

Convenient Synthesis and Biological Activity of Mono and Diacyl 2,5‐Dimercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole Derivatives

New derivatives of 2,5‐dimercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole substituted both at one or two exocyclic sulfur atoms with a series of aroyl or ethoxycarbonyl groups were synthesized in reactions of 2,5‐dimercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole salts with appropriate acid chlorides or ethyl chloroformate in mild conditions. The products were characterized by spectroscopy (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR, and HRMS). Some from the synthesized compounds were screened in vitro and in vivo for antibacterial and antifungal activities against a panel of reference strains of microorganisms. The study revealed that ethyl S‐(5‐mercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazol‐2‐yl) carbonothioate seems to be the most active and versatile compound against Gram‐positive bacteria, Gram‐negative bacteria, and plant pathogenic fungi.     

Development of a 18F‐Labeled Tetrazine with Favorable Pharmacokinetics for Bioorthogonal PET Imaging

A low‐molecular‐weight ¹⁸F‐labeled tetrazine derivative was developed as a highly versatile tool for bioorthogonal PET imaging. Prosthetic groups and undesired carrying of ¹⁸F through additional steps were evaded by direct ¹⁸F‐fluorination of an appropriate tetrazine precursor. Reaction kinetics of the cycloaddition with trans‐cyclooctenes were investigated by applying quantum chemical calculations and stopped‐flow measurements in human plasma; the results indicated that the labeled tetrazine is suitable as a bioorthogonal probe for the imaging of dienophile‐tagged (bio)molecules. In vitro and in vivo investigations revealed high stability and PET/MRI in mice showed fast homogeneous biodistribution of the ¹⁸F‐labeled tetrazine that also passes the blood–brain barrier. An in vivo click experiment confirmed the bioorthogonal behavior of this novel tetrazine probe. Due to favorable chemical and pharmacokinetic properties this bioorthogonal agent should find application in bioimaging and biomedical research.     

3,4,6‐Tri‐O‐acetyl‐1,2‐O‐[1‐(exo‐ethoxy)ethylidene]‐β‐d‐mannopyranose 0.11‐hydrate

The title compound, C₁₆H₂₄O₁₀·0.11H₂O, is a key intermediate in the synthesis of 2‐deoxy‐2‐[¹⁸F]fluoro‐d ‐glucose (¹⁸F‐FDG), which is the most widely used molecular‐imaging probe for positron emission tomography (PET). The crystal structure has two independent molecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit, with closely comparable geometries. The pyranose ring adopts a ⁴C₁ conformation [Cremer–Pople puckering parameters: Q = 0.553 (2) Å, θ = 16.2 (2)° and ϕ = 290.4 (8)° for molecule A, and Q = 0.529 (2) Å, θ =15.3 (3)° and ϕ = 268.2 (9)° for molecule B], and the dioxolane ring adopts an envelope conformation. The chiral centre in the dioxolane ring, introduced during the synthesis of the compound, has an R configuration, with the ethoxy group exo to the mannopyranose ring. The asymmetric unit also contains one water molecule with a refined site‐occupancy factor of 0.222 (8), which bridges between molecules A and B via O—H...O hydrogen bonds.     

Ortho‐Stabilized 18F‐Azido Click Agents and their Application in PET Imaging with Single‐Stranded DNA Aptamers

Azido ¹⁸F‐arenes are important and versatile building blocks for the radiolabeling of biomolecules via Huisgen cycloaddition (“click chemistry”) for positron emission tomography (PET). However, routine access to such clickable agents is challenged by inefficient and/or poorly defined multistep radiochemical approaches. A high‐yielding direct radiofluorination for azido ¹⁸F‐arenes was achieved through the development of an ortho‐oxygen‐stabilized iodonium derivative (OID). This OID strategy addresses an unmet need for a reliable azido ¹⁸F‐arene clickable agent for bioconjugation reactions. A ssDNA aptamer was radiolabeled with this agent and visualized in a xenograft mouse model of human colon cancer by PET, which demonstrates that this OID approach is a convenient and highly efficient way of labeling and tracking biomolecules.     

Late‐Stage 18F‐Difluoromethyl Labeling of N‐Heteroaromatics with High Molar Activity for PET Imaging

Despite a growing interest in CHF₂ in medicinal chemistry, there is a lack of efficient methods for the insertion of CHF¹⁸F into druglike compounds. Herein described is a photoredox flow reaction for ¹⁸F‐difluoromethylation of N‐heteroaromatics that are widely used in medicinal chemistry. Following the two‐step synthesis for a new ¹⁸F‐difluoromethylation reagent, the photoredox reaction is completed within two minutes and proceeds by C?H activation, circumventing the need for pre‐functionalization of the substrate. The method is operationally simple and affords straightforward access to radiolabeled N‐heteroaromatics with high molar activity suitable for biological in vivo studies and clinical application.     

Kristallstrukturen und thermisches Verhalten von Metalldihydrogenphosphat‐HF‐Addukten MH2PO4 · HF (M = K,Rb, Cs) mit Wasserstoffbrückenbindungen vom Typ F–H…O

Structures and Thermal Behaviour of Alkali Metal Dihydrogen Phosphate HF Adducts, MH₂PO₄ · HF (M = K, Rb, Cs), with Hydrogen Bonds of the F–H…O Type Three HF adducts of alkali metal dihydrogen phosphates, MH₂PO₄ · HF (M = K, Rb, Cs), have been isolated from fluoroacidic solutions of MH₂PO₄. KH₂PO₄ · HF crystallizes monoclinic: P2₁/c, a = 6,459(2), b = 7,572(2), c = 9,457(3) Å, β = 101,35(3)°, V = 453,5(3) ų, Z = 4. RbH₂PO₄ · HF and CsH₂PO₄ · HF are orthorhombic: Pna2₁, a = 9,055(3), b = 4,635(2), c = 11,908(4) Å, V = 499,8(3) ų, Z = 4, and Pbca, a = 7,859(3), b = 9,519(4), c = 14,744(5) Å, V = 1102,5(7) ų, Z = 8, respectively. The crystal structures of MH₂PO₄ · HF contain M⁺ cations, H₂PO₄^– anions and neutral HF molecules. The H₂PO₄^– anions are connected to layers by O–H…O hydrogen bonds (2,53–2,63 Å), whereas the HF molecules are attached to the layers via very short hydrogen bonds of the F‐H…O type (2,36–2,38 Å). The thermal decomposition of the adducts proceeds in three steps. The first step corresponds to the release of mainly HF and a smaller quantity of water. In the second and third steps, water evolution caused by condensation of dihydrogen phosphate is the dominating process whereas smaller amounts of HF are also released.     

Polymorphism in 2‐(4‐hydroxy‐2,6‐dimethylanilino)‐5,6‐dihydro‐4H‐1,3‐thiazin‐3‐ium chloride

Details of the structures of two conformational polymorphs of the title compound, C₁₂H₁₇N₂OS⁺·Cl⁻, are reported. In form (I) (space group P), the two N—H groups of the cation are in a trans conformation, while in form (II) (space group P2₁/c), they are in a cis arrangement. This results in different packing and hydrogen‐bond arrangements in the two forms, both of which have extended chains lying along the a direction. In form (I), these chains are composed of centrosymmetric R₄²(18) (N—H...Cl and O—H...Cl) hydrogen‐bonded rings and R₂²(18) (N—H...O) hydrogen‐bonded rings. In form (II), the chains are formed by centrosymmetric R₄²(18) (N—H...Cl and O—H...Cl) hydrogen‐bonded rings and by R₄²(12) (N—H...Cl) hydrogen‐bonded rings.     

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.     

Copper‐Mediated Aminoquinoline‐Directed Radiofluorination of Aromatic C−H Bonds with K18F

A Cu‐mediated ortho‐C?H radiofluorination of aromatic carboxylic acids that are protected as 8‐aminoquinoline benzamides is described. The method uses K¹⁸F and is compatible with a wide range of functional groups. The reaction is showcased in the high specific activity automated synthesis of the RARβ2 agonist [¹⁸F]AC261066.     

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     

Bis(adamantan‐1‐aminium) tetrachloridozincate(II) 18‐crown‐6 monohydrate clathrate

The structure of the title compound [systematic name: bis(adamantan‐1‐aminium) tetrachloridozincate(II)–1,4,7,10,13,16‐hexaoxacyclooctadecane–water (1/1/1)], (C₁₀H₁₈N)₂[ZnCl₄]·C₁₂H₂₄O₆·H₂O, consists of supramolecular rotator–stator assemblies and ribbons of hydrogen bonds parallel to [010]. The assemblies are composed of one protonated adamantan‐1‐aminium cation and one crown ether molecule (1,4,7,10,13,16‐hexaoxacyclooctadecane) to give an overall [(C₁₀H₁₈N)(18‐crown‐6)]⁺ cation. The –NH₃⁺ group of the cation nests in the crown and links to the crown‐ether O atoms through N—H...O hydrogen bonds. The 18‐crown‐6 ring adopts a pseudo‐C_3v conformation. The second adamantan‐1‐aminium forms part of ribbons of adamantan‐1‐aminium–water–tetrachloridozincate units which are interconnected by O—H...Cl, N—H...O and N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds via three different continuous rings with R₅⁴(12), R₄³(10) and R₃³(8) motifs.