Visible Light-Promoted Oxidative Cross-Coupling of Alcohols to Esters.

Ester is one of the most significant functional groups in organic chemistry and is enclosed in several valued molecules. Usually, esters are prepared through the acid-catalyzed esterification reaction of carboxylic acids with alcohols, transesterification of esters with alcohols, or via activation of carboxylic acids followed by the addition of alcohols. However, these procedures typically imply the excess use of reactants and harsh reaction conditions. Visible light-mediated photoreactions have been disclosed to display a safe, sustainable, and accessible alternative to traditional methods, and to lead new reactivity modes in organic procedures. In this context, we propose a transition metal-based and organic-based photocatalyst-free synthesis of esters from alcohols induced by visible light. The methodology can be carried out using sunlight or artificial visible light as a solar simulator or a blue LED source.

Role of biofilm in protection of the replicative form of Legionella pneumophila.

The dual nature of Legionella pneumophila enables its survival in free and intracellular environments and underpins its infection and spread mechanisms. Experiments using bacterial cultures and improved RTqPCR protocols were devised to gain fresh insights into the role of biofilm in protecting the replicative form of L. pneumophila. mip gene expression was used as a marker of virulence in sessile (biofilm-bound) and planktonic (free-floating) cells of L. pneumophila serotype 1 ATCC 33152. The ratio of mip gene expression to transcriptionally active Legionella cells increased both in sessile and free-floating cells demonstrating an up-regulation of mip gene under nutrient depletion. However, a different trend was observed between the two forms, in planktonic cells the mip gene expression/transcriptionally active Legionella cells increased until the end of the experiment, while in the biofilm such increase was observed at the end of the experiment. These findings suggest a possible association between the switch to the transmissive phase of Legionella and a mip up-regulation and a role for biofilm in preserving Legionella cells in replicative form. Moreover, it has been shown that improved RTqPCR protocols are valuable tools to explore bacterial virulence.