Oxidation of aromatic lithium thiolates into sulfinate salts: an attractive entry to aryl sulfones labeled with carbon-11.

[reaction: see text] Aromatic 11C-sulfones were synthesized by S alkylation of lithium arenesulfinates, which are readily available from the corresponding thiols by an oxaziridine-mediated oxidation reaction with [11C]alkyl iodides in THF/H2O (4:1) at 150 degrees C. The radiosyntheses, including purification by HPLC, were completed in an average of 35 min from the end of the bombardment with 55-76% overall radiochemical yields (decay corrected). The described procedure extends the range of accessible labeling methods.