Molecule of the month - TetraBoc-L-DOPA methyl ester

Copper-mediated 18F-radiofluorination has been extended to the use of arylstannanes as precursors [1]. This method can be used for the 18F-radiosynthesis of [18F]F-L-DOPA under mild conditions and represents a valuable alternative to the technically sophisticated and low-yielding electrophilic approach. Automated 18F-radiofluorination of the TetraBoc protected trimethyltin precusor for clinical use was performed with a radiochemical purity of >99% and a molar activity of up to 60 GBq/µmol [2].

[1] Makaravage K. J. et al. Copper-Mediated Radiofluorination of Arylstannanes with [18F]KF. Org. Lett. 2016, 18, 5440–5443.
[2] Zarad F. et.al. A Practical Method for the Preparation of 18F-Labeled Aromatic Amino Acids from Nucleophilic [18F]Fluoride and Stannyl Precursors for Electrophilic Radiohalogenation. Molecules 2017, 22, 2231.
[3] Kniess, T. et al. Cu-Mediated 18F-Radioflourination of Various Stannylated FDOPA Precursors - What is Feasible?, 25th International Symposium on Radiopharmaceutical Sciences (iSRS), 2023 Honolulu, Hawaii, 2023; Nucl. Med. Biol. 2023, 126–127, Suppl. 108754, P-293.

You can find the products here: 

1345 - TetraBoc-L-DOPA methyl ester
1310 - 6-Fluoro-L-DOPA hydrochloride