A rapid microfluidic synthesis of [18F]fluoroarenes from nitroarenes

Microfluidic radiofluorodenitrations have been successfully performed using a commercially available microfluidic synthesis system. Reactions of nitroarenes with para-substituted electron withdrawing groups provide incorporation yields ranging from 43 to 97%. Ortho- and meta-substituted nitroarenes provided incorporation yields up to 35%. The reactions were conducted using dry, no-carrier-added [(18)F]-fluoride and K(2)CO(3)/K(222) dissolved in N,N-dimethylformamide or dimethyl sulfoxide with total synthesis times of less than five min. The methodology developed in these studies can be applied to the synthesis of a variety of fluorine-18 labeled radiotracers and radiolabeled prosthetic groups from nitroarene precursors.