Chemical Labeling with Carbon-11 Carbon Dioxide: Strategies for Tracer Discovery

This lecture by Dr. Benjamin Rotstein explores techniques for chemical labeling with carbon-11 carbon dioxide in the development of positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers. Learn about the challenges and strategies for radiolabeling 11C-carbonyl groups using cyclotron-produced [11C]CO2 (carbon-11, t1/2 = 20.4 min), including the application of catalysis, light, and functionalized precursors. Discover how these techniques contribute to the synthesis and discovery of novel PET radiotracers for molecular imaging. Dr. Rotstein, an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Molecular Imaging Probes and Radiochemistry Laboratory at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, shares insights from his research in this one-hour weekly research conference.