Abstract
A revolutionary new methodology for introducing a short-lived radionuclide 11C into carbon frameworks of biologically significant organic compounds has been established by developing rapid C-[11C]methylations and C-[18F]fluoromethylations using Pd0-mediated cross-coupling reactions between [11C]methyl iodide or [18F]fluoromethyl iodide (or bromide) and excess amounts of organostannane or organoboron compounds. These rapid reactions provide firm chemical bases for an efficient, general synthesis of short-lived 11C- and 18F-labeled PET molecular probes in order to strongly promote in vivo molecular science.