The aim is to discuss the evolution and benefits of the loop radiochemistry method in PET imaging.
Review of the historical development of loop radiochemistry
Comparison of loop method to vial-based approaches
Discussion on applications in synthesizing 11C- and 18F-labelled compounds
Loop method offers cleaner and more efficient synthesis compared to traditional techniques
Applicability to both preclinical and human PET imaging studies is presented
Future prospects for expanding this method to various organic chemistry reactions are outlined
Abstract
While conventional methods to 11C- and 18F-labelled radiopharmaceuticals utilize a vial-based approach, in the past quarter-century, a modern, efficient, and cleaner "loop method" has been developed. This Perspective will shed light on the history behind the development of the loop radiochemistry method, the multifold advantages associated with the method over other approaches, its applications to the synthesis of 11C- and 18F-labelled compounds and radiopharmaceuticals for preclinical and human PET imaging studies, its eventual expansion to diverse organic chemistry reactions and finally provide a future outlook for further developments in this field of radiochemistry.