Preparation of [11C]formaldehyde using a hollow fiber membrane bioreactor.

A bioreactor consisting of the enzymes alcohol oxidase and catalase immobilized onto a hollow fiber membrane was used to convert [11C]methanol to [11C]formaldehyde. Using an alcohol oxidase:catalase ratio of 1:500 U, conversion yields of 90-95% were obtained allowing the production of up to 7400 MBq (200 mCi) of [11C]formaldehyde in 5 min. The hollow fiber bioreactor allowed for a convenient, rapid synthesis with yields significantly higher than the standard chemical procedures, has demonstrable advantages over glass bead immobilized systems (primarily due to convective flow), and was amenable to hot cell conditions.