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Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Protocol for the Synthesis of Ortho-trifluoromethoxylated Aniline Derivatives
Published on: January 19, 2016
Synthesis of (18) F-Difluoromethylarenes from Aryl (Pseudo) Halides
Hang Shi1,2, Augustin Braun1, Lu Wang2
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
Abstract:
A general method for the synthesis of [(18) F]difluoromethylarenes from [(18) F]fluoride for radiopharmaceutical discovery is reported. The method is practical, operationally simple, tolerates a wide scope of functional groups, and enables the labeling of a variety of arenes and heteroarenes with radiochemical yields (RCYs, not decay-corrected) from 10 to 60 %. The (18) F-fluorination precursors are readily prepared from aryl chlorides, bromides, iodides, and triflates. Seven (18) F-difluoromethylarene drug analogues and radiopharmaceuticals including Claritin, fluoxetine (Prozac), and [(18) F]DAA1106 were synthesized to show the potential of the method for applications in PET radiopharmaceutical design.
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