Perfluorinated nitroxide radicals for rapid highly sensitive 19F magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract Highly sensitive 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful for imaging diseases, tracking cells, and therapeutic agents in vivo. Therefore, 19F MRI probes are in great demand for practical applications. Herein, we report a new class of perfluorinated nitroxide radicals for use as 19F MRI probes. Appropriately positioned intramolecular nitroxide radicals reduce the 19F spin-lattice relaxation time (T1), enabling rapid imaging and an improved signal-to-noise ratio.