Opportunities and challenges in the utilization of microfluidic technologies to the production of radiopharmaceuticals

Microfluidics and flow chemistry techniques are gaining an increasing importance in the set-up of chemical production processes. Radiopharmaceutical chemistry is one of the most delicate fields of medicinal products' production, in which microchemistry combines with the use of short-lived nuclides. In this perspective, we will show how microfluidic techniques, a subset of flow chemistry approaches, is changing the methodological scenario by introducing sensible improvements in the synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals, widely used in diagnosis and research. Opportunities, problems and challenges will be discussed, as well as new application in the radiochemistry field, which may translate to potential future developments for applied research.