Rapid microfluidic flow hydrogenation for reduction or deprotection of 18F-labeled compounds

We have combined the benefits of both microfluidics and flow hydrogenation to provide facile access to previously underutilized reduction and protecting group chemistries for PET imaging applications. The rapid removal of an O-benzyl protecting group to prepare 2-[F-18] fluoroquinolin-8-ol and the reduction of a nitro group in the synthesis of 4-[F-18] fluoroaniline were achieved within 3 minutes.