Automated synthesis and purification of [18F]bromofluoromethane at high specific radioactivity

[F-18]Bromofluoromethane was synthesised from dibromomethane by substitution of bromine with [F-18]fluoride. The synthesis and separation of the [F-18]bromofluoromethane were automated. [F-18]Bromofluoromethane was used to convert a phenolic and a thiophenolic precursor into a labelled ether and thioether, respectively. The specific radioactivity of these labelled products was determined with both high-performance liquid chromatography (with UV-absorbance detection) and liquid chromatography (with mass spectrometric detection). The median for the specific radioactivity, corrected at the end of radionuclide production, was 934 GBq/mu mol (range 40-9900 GBq/mu mol; n = 83). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.