1-(4-Cyanobenzyl)-4-[[(trans-iodopropen-2-yl)oxy]methyl]pipe ridine (2) has been synthesized as a novel iodinated ligand for sigma receptors. This new compound exhibited high affinity (Ki = 0.38 nM) for the sigma-1 receptor and selectivity for sigma-1 vs. sigma-2 receptors (Ki sigma-1/sigma-2 = 0.02) using in vitro receptor binding assays. Moderate affinity for muscarinic M1 (Ki = 322 nM) and M2 (Ki = 178 nM) receptors and low affinity (Ki = 1,460 nM) for dopamine D2 receptors was also noted. The lipophilicity of 2 (log P7.5 = 3.24) is moderate, indicating that the ligand should readily cross the blood/brain barrier. The corresponding radioiodinated ligand, 123I-2, was synthesized from the appropriate trans vinyl tributylstannane precursor under acidic conditions using oxidative iododestannylation methods. HPLC purification provided the radioligand in yields ranging between 63 and 75% EOS (n = 5) and with > 99% radiochemical purity and a specific activity > 77,000 MBq/mumol. Preliminary in vivo distribution and pharmacological blocking studies using 123I-2 were performed in male Australian Albino Wistar rats. 123I-2 exhibited good brain uptake (1.11 +/- 0.14% ID at 20 min PI) with no significant loss of radioactivity from the brain over the course of the study (4 h). The gross regional brain distribution of the radioligand showed highest uptake in the posterior cortex and frontal cortex, with slightly lower uptake in other brain regions examined. Most of the uptake of radioactivity in the brain, lung, heart, muscle, and kidney was prevented by pre-administration of compounds with affinity for sigma receptors, indicating the in vivo specificity of the ligand. In view of these results, 123I-2 shows promise for the in vivo tomographic evaluation of sigma receptor densities.