Method

1. A radiofluorination process comprising:

(a) providing a solid stationary phase which comprises a polymeric anion-exchange resin having bound thereto [ 18 F]fluoride anions; and

(b) contacting said solid stationary phase with a non-aqueous solution comprising a precursor compound of formula (I):

and a solvent selected from acetonitrile, tent-butanol, dimethylformamide, dimethylsulphoxide, dimethylacetamide, tetrahydrofuran, dioxan, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, sulpholane, N-methylpyrolidinone, or mixtures thereof, or an ionic liquid, optionally in the presence of an organic non-nucleophilic base,

whereby to produce a radiofluorinated compound of formula (II):

wherein: in formula (I), L is a positively charged leaving group; and in formulae (I) and (II), R is a group of the formula:

wherein R′ is an electron-withdrawing group,

wherein the radiofluorination process is performed at a temperature of from 10° C. to 25° C., and wherein the stationary phase is not contacted with a phase transfer catalyst during step (b).

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein in step (b) the solid stationary phase is contacted with the non-aqueous solution of the precursor compound of formula (I) in the presence of an organic non-nucleophilic base.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein R is

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein R′ is —CF 3 , —CH 2 CF 3 , —CH(CF 3 ) 2 , —C(CF 3 ) 3 , or

where n is an integer from 1 to 5 and each Z is independently —F, —Cl, —NO 2 , or —CN.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein R is

wherein n is an integer from 1 to 5 and each Z is independently —F, −Cl, —NO 2 , or —CN. CN.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor compound of formula (I) is a compound of formula (I ll ):

wherein L is a positively charged leaving group, n is an integer from 1 to 5 and each Z is independently—F, —Cl, —NO 2 , or —CN.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor compound of formula (I) is a compound of general formula (P):

and wherein L and R′ in said compound of general formula (I s ) are selected such that said precursor compound is one of compounds (1) to (21):

R’

L

 (1)

 (2)

 (3)

 (4)

 (5)

 (6)

 (7)

 (8)

 (9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

(18)

(19)

(20)

(21).

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein R is

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor compound of formula (I) is in the form of a trifluoromethanesulphonate salt.

10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising reacting the compound of formula (II) with a compound of formula (III):

H 2 N-biomolecule   (III)

to give a radiolabelled biomolecule of formula (IV):

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the biomolecule is a peptide, protein, hormone, oligonucleotide, or antibody fragment.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein the biomolecule is a peptide selected from somatostatin analogues, bombesin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, chemotactic peptide analogues, α-melanocyte stimulating hormone, urea-based PSMA inhibitors, neurotensin, Arg-Gly-Asp peptide and its analogues, human pro-insulin connecting peptide, endothelin, angiotensin and formyl-norleucyl-leucyl-phenylalanyl-norleucyl-tyrosyl-lysine.

13. The process of claim 10 , wherein the biomolecule comprises the fragment:

14. The process of claim 10 , wherein the biomolecule is a peptide of formula (V):

wherein X 7 is either —NH 2 or

wherein a is an integer of from 1 to 10.

15. The process of claim 10 , wherein the biomolecule is an aminooxy- or hydrazine-modified peptide.

16. The process of claim 10 , wherein the biomolecule is