A method and an apparatus for preparing [C-11]methyl iodide from [C-11]methane and iodine in a single pass through a non-thermal plasma reactor has been developed. The plasma was created by applying high voltage (400 V/31 kHz) to electrodes in a stream of helium gas at reduced pressure. The [C-11]methane used in the experiments was produced from [C-11]carbon dioxide via reduction with hydrogen over nickel. [C-11]methyl iodide was obtained with a specific radioactivity of 412 +/- 32 GBq/mu mol within 6 min from approximately 24 GBq of [C-11]carbon dioxide. The decay corrected radiochemical yield was 13 +/- 3% based on [C-11]carbon dioxide at start of synthesis. [C-11]Flumazenil was synthesized via a N-alkylation with the prepared [C-11]methyl iodide.

A method to prepare [1-C-11]propyl iodide and [1-C-11]butyl iodide from [C-11]carbon monoxide via a three step reaction sequence is presented. Palladium mediated formylation of ethene with [C-11]carbon monoxide and hydrogen gave [1-C-11]propionaldehyde and [1-C-11]propionic acid. The carbonylation products were reduced and subsequently converted to [1-C-11]propyl iodide. Labelled propyl iodide was obtained in 58 +/- 4% decay corrected radiochemical yield and with a specific radioactivity of 270 +/- 33 GBq/mu mol within 15 min from approximately 12 GBq of [C-11]carbon monoxide. The position of the label was confirmed by C-13-labelling and C-13-NMR analysis. [1-C-11]Butyl iodide was obtained correspondingly from propene and approximately 8 GBq of [C-11]carbon monoxide, in 34 +/- 2% decay corrected radiochemical yield and with a specific radioactivity of 146 +/- 20 GBq/mu mol. The alkyl iodides were used in model reactions to synthesize [O-propyl-1-C-11]propyl and [O-butyl-1-C-11]butyl benzoate. Propyl and butyl analogues of etomidate, a (beta-11-hydroxylase inhibitor, were also synthesized.

Two methods are presented for the synthesis of acrylamides labelled with C-11 (beta(+), t(1/2) = 20.4 min) and C-11 in the carbonyl position. In the first method, [1-C-11]acrylic acid is synthesised from [C-11]carbon monoxide by palladium-mediated hydroxy-carbonylation of acetylene. The labelled carboxylic acid is converted into the acyl chloride and subsequently treated with amine to yield N-benzyl[carbonyl(11)C]acrylamide, The second method utilizes [C-11]carbon monoxide in a palladium-mediated carbonylative cross-coupling of vinyl halides and amines. A higher radiochemical yield is achieved with the latter method and the amount of amine needed is decreased to 1/20. The C-11-labelled acrylamides were isolated in up to 81 % decay-corrected radiochemical yield. Starting from 10 +/- 0.5GBq of [C-11]carbon monoxide, N-benzyl[carbonyl-C-11]acrylamide was obtained in 4 min with a specific radioactivity of 330 +/- 4 GBq mu mol-(1). Co-labelling with C-11 and C-13 enabled confirmation of the labelled position by C-13 NMR spectroscopy.