A new strategy for preparing molecular imaging and therapy agents using fluorine-rich (fluorous) soluble supports.

A convenient new strategy for producing radiolabeled compounds in high effective specific activity was developed using soluble fluorous supports. The reported methodology involves a fluorous linker group that is released from the substrate of interest upon reaction with radioiodine. The desired product can then be selectively separated from unreacted starting material and reaction byproducts using a simple fluorous solid-phase extraction procedure. The utility of this approach was demonstrated by labeling a series of benzoic acid derivatives which are commonly used to prepare molecular imaging agents. All compounds were produced in high radiochemical yields, purities, and effective specific activities. The strategy was further elaborated in that it was used to prepare a small collection of radiolabeled benzamides as a way of demonstrating the potential utility of this method for creating libraries of molecular imaging agents.