• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.116-121
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• 2017

To overcome the low reactivity and solubility of alkali metal fluorides (MFs), various types of phase transfer catalysts (PTCs) have been developed over the last decades. However, since the fluoride activated by such PTC sometimes has a strong basicity, it may cause various side reactions such as elimination reaction or hydroxylation reaction in the nucleophilic fluorination reaction. Also, they may cause separation problems in the compound purification process. In recent advanced study, various PTCs have been developed to solve these problem of conventional catalyst. In this review, we would like to introduce three kinds of novel multifunctional organic catalysts such as bis-tert-alcohol-functionalized crown-6-calix[4]arene (BACCA), easy separable pyrene-tagged ionic liquid (PIL) by reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and tri-tert-butanolamine organic catalyst.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 2011

An efficient nucleophilic [$^{18}F$]fluorination has been studied to reduce byproducts and preparation time. Instead of conventional aqueous solution of $K_2CO_3-K_{222}$, several organic solution containing inert organic salts were used to release [$^{18}F$]fluoride ion and anion bases captured in the polymer cartridge, concluding that methanol solution is the best choice. Comparing to azeotropic drying process, one min was sufficient to remove methanol completely, resulting in about 10% radioactivity saving by reducing drying time. The polymer cartridge, Chromafix$^{(R)}$ (PS-$HCO_3$) was pretreated with several anion bases to displace pre-loaded bicarbonate base. Phosphate bases showed better results than carbonate bases in terms of lower basicity. tert-Butanol solvent used as a reaction media played another critical role in nucleophilic [18F]fluorination by suppressing eliminated side product. Consequent [$^{18}F$]fluorination under the present condition afforded fast preparation of reaction solution and high radiochemical yields (98% radio-TLC, 84% RCY) with 94% of precursor remained.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.141-146
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• 2021

With increasing interest in fluorinated compounds, nucleophilic fluorination reaction has been generally used for synthesizing fluorine-containing chemicals. However, alkali metal fluorides (MFs) generally have low solubility and reactivity in organic solvent. To overcome these problems, various phase transfer catalysts (PTCs) have been investigated. Calix-arene is known as to capture the metal cation(M⁺), and therefore in this review, we would like to introduce several kinds of calix-arene based PTCs, such as bis-tert-alcohol-functionalized crown-6-calix[4]arene (BACCA), oligo-ethylene glycol linked bis-triethyleneglycol crown-5-calix[4]arene (BTC5A), and ionic liquid functionalized calix-arene based catalyst, as well as ion-pair receptor crown-6-calix[4]arene-capped calix[4]pyrrole.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.3-14
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• 2017

Nucleophilic aromatic fluorination has been one of the most explored methods in fluorin-18 based radiochemistry. Unlike electrophilic $[^{18}F]$fluorination methods, no-carrier-added nucleophilic radiofluorination with cyclotron-produced $[^{18}F]$fluoride ion offers better specific radioactivity which is essential aspect to obtain good quality images from positron emission tomography. Contrary to amenable aliphatic radiofluorination, the development of reliable aromatic $[^{18}F]$fluorination methods has been pursued by many research groups; however, no viable method has yet been established. Recently, hypervalent iodine compound draws increasing attention as versatile radiolabeling precursor for various $[^{18}F]$fluoroarenes, since it bears the capacity to introduce fluorine-18 either on electron-deficient or electron-rich aryl ring with enhanced regiospecificity. Other classes of hypervalent iodine congeners often utilized in radiochemistry are iodylarenes, iodonium ylides, and spirocyclic iodonium ylides. Recently developed spirocyclic iodonium ylides have already been avidly employed to provide various $[^{18}F]$aryl fluorides with high labeling efficiency. This metal-free protocol would afford efficient routes, replacing the traditional approaches to $[^{18}F]$fluoroarenes, from prosthetic labeling synthons to complex PET radiotracers.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.881-884
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• 2012

We report a quantum chemical study of an extremely efficient nucleophilic aromatic fluorination in molten salts. We describe that the mechanism involves solvent anion interacting with the ion pair nucleophile $M^+F^-$(M = Na, K, Rb, Cs) to accelerate the reaction. We show that our proposed mechanism may well explain the excellent efficiency of molten salts for SNAr reactions, the relative efficacy of the metal cations, and also the observed large difference in rate constants in two molten salts $(n-C_4H_9)_4N^+\;CX_3SO_3^-$, (X=H, F) with slightly different sidechain ($-CH_3$ vs. $-CF_3$).

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.129-133
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• 2017

Since carbon-fluorine (C-F) bonds play a key role to improve bioavailability and lipophilicity, they have found commonly in pharmaceuticals, radiopharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and material science. Advances on the efficient method to introduce fluorine to complex organic molecules are mainly results of development of fluorination reagents and transition metal catalysts. In this mini-review, we want to emphasize two representative nucleophilic fluorinating reagents regarding carbon-fluorine bond formation, which were developed in the mid-2000s.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.121-123
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• 2018

Fluoride is one of most important atoms for both clinical and pharmaceutical usage. Associated with such a strong need, $^{18}F$-fluoride has been widely used as an essential radioisotope. The fluoride always suffers from strong solvation effects through strong hydrogen bonding, which reduce the reactivity of fluoride anion. To enhance the reactivity, the concept of naked fluoride was introduced in the fluorination field. In this essay, I will briefly describe the history of naked fluoride concept and development of naked fluoride sources.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2009

Noninvasive imaging of molecular and biological processes in living subjects with positron emission tomography(PET) provides exciting opportunities to monitor metabolism and detect diseases in humans. Measuring these processes with PET requires the preparation of specific molecular imaging probes labeled with $^{18}F$-fluorine. In this review we describe recent methods and novel trends for the introduction of $^{18}F$-fluorine into molecules which in turn are intended to serve as imaging agents for PET study. Nucleophilic $^{18}F$-fluorination of some halo- and mesyloxyalkanes to the corresponding $^{18}F$-fluoroalkanes with $^{18}F$-fluoride obtained from an $^{18}O(p,n)^{18}F$ reaction, using novel reaction media system such as an ionic liquidor tert-alcohol, has been studied as a new method for $^{18}F$-fluorine labeling. Ionic liquid method is rapid and particularly convenient because $^{18}F$-fluoride in $H_2O$ can be added directly to the reaction media, obviating the careful drying that is typically required for currently used radiofluorination methods. The nonpolar protic tert-alcohol enhances the nucleophilicity of the fluoride ion dramatically in the absence of any kind of catalyst, greatly increasing the rate of the nucleophilic fluorination and reducing formation of byproducts compared with conventional methods using dipolar aprotic solvents. The great efficacy of this method is a particular advantage in labeling radiopharmaceuticals with $^{18}F$-fluorine for PETimaging, and it is illustrated by the synthesis of $^{18}F$-fluoride radiolabeled molecular imaging probes, such as $^{18}F$-FDG, $^{18}F$-FLT, $^{18}F$-FP-CIT, and $^{18}F$-FMISO, in high yield and purity and in shorter times compared to conventional syntheses.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.2177-2180
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• 2012

New [$^{18}F$]F-fluorination methods using a minimized amount of precursor has been developed by controlling the base concentration. In the first method, pre-conditioning of the anion exchange cartridge with $K_2CO_3$ solution or water was carried out. The trapped [$^{18}F$]fluoride on the cartridge was then eluted by KOMs or KOTf solution. [$^{18}F$]F-Fluorination could be performed without additional base. In the second method, the QMA cartridge was preconditioned with KOMs solutions. Trapped [$^{18}F$]fluoride on the QMA was then eluted with KOMs and additional base, such as KOH, $K_2CO_3$, and $KHCO_3$, was added into the reaction vessel. Method 1 showed a [$^{18}F$]F-incorporation yield of 20.9% for [$^{18}F$]FLT synthesis with 5 mg of precursor. Unlike method 1, a [$^{18}F$]F-incorporation yield of 91.4% was achieved from the same amount of precursor in method 2.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2016

Alkali metal fluoride sources (MFs) such as potassium fluoride (KF) have been widely used as a fluoride source in the nucleophilic displacement reaction. However, they have low solubility and nucleophilicity in most of the organic solvents. Bulky fluoride sources such as tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) were substituted for MFs to improve these properties. However, hygroscopic property of TBAF makes it less convenient for handling as well as its strong basic property can make the side-reaction occur. Recently, novel fluoride sources have been developed to solve these problems. In this paper, we would like to introduce coordinated fluoride sources as a new fluoride sources such as tetrabutylammonium tetra(t-butyl alcohol)-coordinated fluoride, crown ether metal complex fluoride, and various bulky alcohols coordinated fluoride complexes. In particular, bulky alcohol coordinated fluoride source could generated by the controlled hydrogen-bonded of fluoride with alcohols and these fluoride sources have better stability and reactivity with showing low hygroscopic property. The study of these fluoride sources will help to understand the characteristic of [$^{18}F$]fluoride for increasing the radiochemical yield in the [$^{18}F$]radiofluorination.