The editorial board of TAPPI Journal has selected Preparation and Characterization of Bioactive and Breathable Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanowebs Using a Combinational Approach, by U.Turaga, V.Singh, A.Gibson, S.Maharubin, C.Korzeniewski, S.Presley, E.Smith, R.Kendall, and S.Ramkumar as TAPPI Journal’s Best Research Paper Runner Up for 2016. The paper appeared in the October 2016 issue. 

Preparation and Characterization of Bioactive and Breathable Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanowebs Using a Combinational Approach by U.Turaga, V.Singh, A.Gibson, S.Maharubin, C.Korzeniewski, S.Presley, E.Smith, R.Kendall, and S.Ramkumar: 

 

Electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanowebs treated with a mixture of honey and polyhexamethylene biguanides (PHMBs, commercially available as Reputex 20) were prepared and characterized to evaluate their applicability in wound dressing applications. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the incorporation of functional moieties from honey and Reputex 20 into electrospun PVA nanowebs. Functionalized PVA nanowebs were characterized by evaluating their antimicrobial properties, moisture vapor transport characteristics (breathability), and tensile properties. PVA nanowebs treated with a mixture of honey and PHMBs have shown good antimicrobial activity. Additionally, functionalized PVA nanowebs have shown adequate breathability characteristics, a much needed attribute in textile materials used in wound dressing applications. Nanowebs fabricated from bio-compatible polymers such as PVA, and functionalized in a combinational fashion, could be used in many different biomedical applications, including wound healing bandages and cell or tissue culture scaffolds. 

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