Silicon-fluoride heteroaromatic systems for applications in positron emission tomography (pet) molecular imaging

A composition of matter comprising:

• a compound comprising an aromatic heterocyclic core comprising a mono- or polycyclic-aromatic chemical moiety featuring one or more heteroatoms, and
• at least one functionality attached to the aromatic heterocyclic core, wherein the functionality comprises:
• a chemical moiety Q comprising Si;
• wherein Q is attached to the aromatic heterocyclic core via a covalent chemical bond;
• an integer number m of atoms or functional groups X associated with Q,
• wherein m≥0, and each X, if any, is independently chosen such that it can be displaced by a nucleophile, including by [18F]F−;
• and
• an integer number n of atoms or functional groups Z covalently bound to Q,
• wherein n≥0, and each Z is chemically inert and independently chosen such that it stabilizes Q or otherwise protects the functionality from decomposition;
• and
• the sum of m, n, and 1 is a value that corresponds to a coordination number specific to Q, wherein the coordination number for Si can be one of:
• 4, 5, or 6;
• and wherein the compound comprises:
• a handle moiety operatively coupled to the aromatic heterocyclic core, wherein:
• the handle moiety is adapted to couple the compound to a ligand,
• the handle moiety comprises a functional group selected from the group consisting of:
• an activated ester, a N-hydroxysuccinimide ester, a maleimide, an aldehyde, a thiol, a nitrile, a disulfide, an alcohol, an isocyanate, a isothiocyanate, an aryl halide, a benzoyl halide, an amine, an azide, an alkyne, a tetrazine, a strained alkyne or a carboxylic acid;
• and
• a linker operatively coupled to the aromatic heterocyclic core, wherein:
• the linker is adapted to link the aromatic heterocyclic core to the ligand,
• the linker moiety comprises a functional group selected from an unsubstituted alkyl;
• an unsubstituted polyethylene glycol, a charged or neutral polyamine;
• a mixed amino-oxo chain;
• a polyaromatic polyheteroaromatic group, a charged or neutral polyheteroaromatic group;
• a bi- or poly-substituted triazole;
• an imidazole containing group;
• a peptide, an or amino acid containing moiety or combinations thereof.