The present invention provides novel fluorophilic compounds having structure VI wherein R1 is a C2-C20 aliphatic, a C3-C20 cycloaliphatic, or a C3-C20 aromatic radical comprising at least one functional group susceptible to reaction with nucleophilic fluoride ion or an electrophilic fluorinating agent; R2 is a C1-C10 aliphatic radical, or a C3-C10 cycloaliphatic radical; R3 is hydrogen or a C1-C10 aliphatic radical; and R4 is hydrogen or a C1-C10 aliphatic radical. The fluorophilic compounds are provided in both racemic and enantiomerically enriched forms and are useful as intermediates in the preparation of novel PET imaging agents and probes useful in the discovery and performance assessment of PET imaging agents. The fluorophilic compounds are particularly useful in the preparation of PET imaging agents and probes having a high affinity for VMAT-2, a biomarker implicated in human diabetes and other illnesses such as Parkinson's disease.