This thesis focuses on the development of a novel nucleophilic ¹⁸F-fluorination of (hetero)arenes and of a rapid screening experiment to facilitate the application of this reaction to complex heterocyclic targets of medicinal importance. <strong>Chapter 1</strong> introduces the use of molecules labelled with fluorine-18 as tracers in positron emission tomography and reviews methods for the preparation of [¹⁸F]fluoroarenes published prior to the start of the work in this thesis. <strong>Chapter 2</strong> describes the development of a novel method for the preparation of electronically-diverse [¹⁸F]fluoroarenes from aryl boronic esters and [¹⁸F]fluoride, mediated by a copper complex. Application of this ¹⁸F-fluorodeboronation to electron-rich radiotracers is demonstrated. Methods for the preparation of [¹⁸F]fluoroarenes published after the start of the work in this thesis are reviewed. <strong>Chapter 3</strong> outlines a rapid screening experiment for assessing the tolerance of the ¹⁸F-fluorodeboronation towards heterocycles, and the use of this method to guide the retro-radiosynthesis of heterocycle-rich, medicinally relevant molecules. <strong>Chapter 4</strong> contains synthetic procedures and characterisation data for compounds in Chapters 2 and 3.

This thesis deals with the design of 18F- and 68Ga-labelled positron emission tomography (PET) tracers and the development of technologies that enable faster and simpler preparation with high specific radioactivity. Techniques like microwave heating and reducing the concentrations of the precursor were investigated with this perspective. A few applications were explored using molecular design perspectives. A nucleophilic 18F-labelling strategy using perfluoro-containing leaving groups was explored. We observed that [18F]fluoride was interacting with the perfluoro alkyl chains of the substrate, preventing the nucleophilic substitution from taking place. When a perfluoroaryl group was instead used in the leaving group, the substitution took place and purification by fluorous solid-phase extraction was possible. 18F-Labelled analogues of the monoamine oxidase-A inhibitor harmine were prepared by one-step nucleophilic fluorinations and evaluated by in vitro autoradiography, showing high specific binding. Biotin analogues labelled with 18F and 68Ga were prepared and their binding to avidin evaluated. All analogues retained their binding ability and will be further evaluated in transplantation models with avidin-coated islets of Langerhans. Peptide design perspectives were used in some examples where the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence and a single-chain version of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein functionalized with 2,2',2'',2'''-(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetrayl)tetraacetic acid (DOTA) or 2,2',2''-(1,4,7-triazonane-1,4,7-triyl)triacetic acid (NOTA) as chelators were labelled with 68Ga. The RGD motif and VEGF have high affinity for, respectively, αvβ3 integrin and VEGFR-2 receptor that are overexpressed in angiogenesis process. The 68Ga-labelled scVEGF maintained its functional activity in vitro. A polypeptide conjugate containing phosphocholine, which has affinity for the C-reactive protein released during the inflammatory process, was labelled with 68Ga for the development of an imaging agent for inflammation in vivo. Finally [18F]/19F exchange in fluorine-containing compounds was studied in order to investigate whether the exchange reaction can be of practical use for labelling.