Recent Advances of S–18F Radiochemistry for Positron Emission Tomography

The click chemistry of sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) has facilitated the widespread application of sulfur-fluoride compounds such as sulfonyl fluorides, fluorosulfates, and sulfamoyl fluorides in various fields, especially in the development of ¹⁸F ligands for PET (positron emission tomography) imaging. In recent years, the prominent progress of sulfur-[¹⁸F]fluoride compounds has been achieved through the combination of ¹⁸F and sulfur-fluoride chemistry. These compounds serve as potential ¹⁸F tracers, ¹⁸F synthons, and reagents for ¹⁸F-fluorination, thereby complementing the range of ¹⁸F ligands, typically C-¹⁸F structures, used in PET studies. This review aims to provide an overview of S-¹⁸F labeling reactions through examples of relevant ¹⁸F compounds and highlight the advancements and breakthroughs achieved in the past decade.