10.1016/j.jfluchem.2017.10.010
The research investigates a novel method for producing electrophilic 18F-fluorination reagents without using toxic F2 gas. The study explores the use of SF6 as an alternative, testing its efficacy in two different matrix gases, Ne and Xe. The results show that SF6 in Xe can effectively produce electrophilic [18F]F2 gas, which was successfully used to label model compounds like 6-[18F]fluoro-L-DOPA and [18F]Selectfluor bis(triflate). In contrast, using SF6 in Ne resulted in only trace amounts of [18F]F2. Spectrometric analysis revealed that atomic fluorine was not detected during discharge in Xe, suggesting the formation of excited Xe-F* intermediate species. The study concludes that SF6 in Xe is a viable alternative for producing electrophilic 18F-fluorination reagents, offering a safer and more practical method for PET tracer production. Future work should focus on optimizing the yield and molar activity of the reagents produced.