Plasma-treated Polyethylene Research Articles

Low-temperature plasma-treated polyethylene oxide for hemostasis and skin wound healing

The development of a hemostatic material capable of controlling substantial blood loss in wound healing scenarios remains a critical challenge in clinical practice. Herein, we treated polyethylene oxide (PEO) with low-temperature plasma irradiation (LTPI) technology in the air, and the modified PEO (CAPEO) was obtained with carboxyl (–COOH) and amine (–NH2) groups. Notably, CAPEO exhibited excellent hydrophilicity, great cytocompatibility, and blood compatibility. Platelets could be activated more and clotting time could be shorter with the treatment of CAPEO than with PEO. More importantly, in the rat liver hemorrhage model, the blood loss in CAPEO (95.8 mg) was less than in PEO (144.2 mg). Moreover, in vivo investigation of skin wound repair, CAPEO could promote epidermal regeneration and collagen deposition, thereby accelerating wound healing. These findings disclose that CAPEO holds great potential for hemostasis and wound healing.

Tailored dendrimer interlayer based on Marangoni convection for high-performance reverse osmosis membranes

Advanced reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for desalination, typically thin-film composite (TFC) membranes, have emerged as a prominent research direction to combat water scarcity. The substrate properties, such as the amine monomer adsorption capacity, are considered important for the interfacial polymerization (IP) process. Herein, inspired by Marangoni convection, a tailored dendrimer interlayer based on the plasma-treated polyethylene substrate was developed via the in-depth modification driven by surface tension gradient to precisely adjust the substrate properties. In addition, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was introduced as an additive to synergistically improve the desalination performance, and its role was reinvestigated. The quantitative experiments of amine monomer adsorption show that the substrate with in-depth modification possesses enhanced adsorption capacity. Therefore, massive amines can be enriched at the substrate surface, which can erupt and react violently in IP, thereby forming a polyamide layer with thick apparent thickness and abundant nanovoids. The RO membrane after optimization exhibits 99.19 % of rejection to NaCl and 3.87 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 of permeance, which shows good competitiveness compared with the advanced polymer-based RO membranes. This work provides constructive suggestions for the screening of interlayers to RO membranes and the application of polyethylene-based TFC membranes.

The influence of fiber addition and different fabrication conditions in manufacturing plasma treated polyethylene/carbon fiber composites

AbstractThe potential advantage of plasma treated polyethylene (PEP) in mechanical properties was studied in this research. Recycled carbon fiber (CF) was the filler used for this hand layup technique. During fabrication, 4–14 wt% CF was incorporated into PEP and the results showed the impact of both filler and plasma treatment in enhancing the mechanical strength of polymer composites. Tensile results improved from 17.51 to 22.51 MPa in the polyethylene (PE) matrix. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) results showed untreated PE composites with fiber and matrix breakages as also voids reducing the compatibility of the PE/CF phases. The maximum flexural property of 25.5 MPa was observed in 10 wt% CF/PE treated with plasma. This combination was tried with different fabrication conditions in a temperature range of 180–220°C and time duration of 20–30 min. It was clearly seen that CF/PE combinations at a temperature of 180°C and time duration of 20 min had maximum tensile and flexural strength. The optimization using Taguchi method proved the significance of CF content in enhancing the mechanical properties. It also observed better tensile strength, flexural strength properties with 10 wt% CF, 180°C temperature, 20 min time from the results. Surface images of this condition showed more dispersed CF in the PE than other combinations due to optimum temperature and time duration during fabrication.

The Effect of Plasma Treatment of Polyethylene Powder and Glass Fibers on Selected Properties of Their Composites Prepared via Rotational Molding.

In this article, the effect of plasma treatment of polyethylene powder and glass fibers on the adhesion between polyethylene and glass fibers in composites prepared by rotational molding was studied. In contrast to other processing techniques, such as injection molding, the rotational molding process operates at atmospheric pressure, and no pressure is added to ensure mechanical interlocking. This makes reinforcing the rotomolded product very difficult. Therefore, the formation of chemical bonds is necessary for strong adhesion. Different combinations of untreated polyethylene (UT.PE), plasma-treated polyethylene (PT.PE), untreated and plasma-treated glass fibers were manually mixed and processed by rotational molding. The resulting composites were cut and tested to demonstrate the effect of the treatment on the adhesion between the composite components and on the mechanical properties of the final composites. The results showed that the treatment of both powder and fiber improved the adhesion between the matrix and fibers, thus improving the mechanical properties of the resulting composites compared to those of pure polyethylene samples and composites prepared using untreated components. The tensile strength, tensile modulus, and flexural modulus of the composites prepared using 10-min treated powder with 20 wt% of 40-min treated fibers improved by 20%, 82%, and 98%, respectively, compared to the pure polyethylene samples.

Enhancing the flux and salt rejection of thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes prepared on plasma-treated polyethylene using PVA/TS-1 composite

The high hydrophobicity of polyethylene (PE) film restricts its application as a thin-film composite (TFC) support layer. Therefore, in this study, oxygen plasma treatment was used to generate hydrophilic groups on PE and facilitate the formation of the TFC membrane. The difference in the performance of the plasma treated-PE (P-PE) membrane compared to untreated-PE indicated the significant effect of plasma pretreatment. In the following, to enhance the hydrophilicity of the P-PE membrane, titanium silicate-1 (TS-1) was synthesized as a zeotype through the hydrothermal method and added to the aqueous solution of the interfacial polymerization process. Due to the decrease in the agglomeration of TS-1 in the membrane matrix, PVA/TS-1 composites with distinct concentrations of polymer were prepared and applied for modifying membrane properties. Membranes were characterized by FESEM, ATR-FTIR, AFM, zeta potential, and water contact angle analyses. Permeability, rejection of monovalent and divalent salts, and antifouling ability of the fabricated nanofiltration membranes were studied and the optimal polymer concentration was determined. Comparison of P-PE-TFC 0.1 membrane with P-PE showed an increase of ~42% in pure water flux. Also, the rejection of Na2SO4, MgSO4, MgCl2, and NaCl salts were 90.28%, 81.77%, 74.79%, and 70.94% for P-PE-TFC 0.1 membrane, respectively, which showed a notable improvement compared to the P-PE membrane. Evaluation of antifouling ability showed that P-PE-TFC 0.1 membrane had a higher resistance to fouling compared to other membranes. Flux recovery ratio of this membrane after three cycles of bovine serum albumin (BSA) filtration was higher than other membranes resulting from the reduced roughness due to the combined effect of PVA and TS-1.

Novel Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) Based on Electrospun Polydimethylsiloxane/Polystyrene Fibrous Structures Infused with Natural Blackseed Oil.

Hydrophobic fibrous slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) were fabricated by electrospinning polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polystyrene (PS) as a carrier polymer on plasma-treated polyethylene (PE) and polyurethane (PU) substrates. Subsequent infusion of blackseed oil (BSO) into the porous structures was applied for the preparation of the SLIPS. SLIPS with infused lubricants can act as a repellency layer and play an important role in the prevention of biofilm formation. The effect of polymer solutions used in the electrospinning process was investigated to obtain well-defined hydrophobic fibrous structures. The surface properties were analyzed through various optical, macroscopic and spectroscopic techniques. A comprehensive investigation of the surface chemistry, surface morphology/topography, and mechanical properties was carried out on selected samples at optimized conditions. The electrospun fibers prepared using a mixture of PDMS/PS in the ratio of 1:1:10 (g/g/mL) using tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent showed the best results in terms of fiber uniformity. The subsequent infusion of BSO into the fabricated PDMS/PS fiber mats exhibited slippery behavior regarding water droplets. Moreover, prepared SLIPS exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacterium strains.

Experimental Studies on the Influence of Plasma Treatment of Polyethylene in Carbon Fiber Composites: Mechanical and Morphological Studies

This research focused on enhancement of mechanical properties in carbon fiber (CF)-filler-reinforced linear low-density polyethylene (PE) matrix composites. A hand layup method using an oven was used as the fabrication method. Improvement in adhesion was achieved by oxygen plasma treatment to the PE matrix. CF and PE were initially mixed by normal stirring, ultrasonication and mechanical stirring before being filtered and dried for fabrication. Better tensile results were observed with a plasma-treated polyethylene (PEP)/10 wt.% CF combination, with a maximum tensile strength of 21.5 MPa and improvement in the properties of up to 12.57% compared to non-plasma PE with the same CF addition. The addition of carbon fibers at 13 and 15 wt.% resulted in a reduction in the tensile strength properties to 18.2 MPa and 17.7 MPa, respectively. This reduction in tensile strength was due to agglomeration of CF with plasma- and non-plasma-treated PE. The fabrication condition of 180 °C temperature for 20 min showed better tensile properties than other conditions. The SEM results following tensile testing revealed enhanced CF filler adherence with plasma PE results, as well as fewer surface deformations. A higher flexural strength of 25.87 MPa was observed for the plasma treated PE/7 wt.% CF combination.

Immobilization of glucose oxidase on plasma-treated polyethylene for non-invasive glucose detection

Glucose oxidase (GOx) has been covalently immobilized onto plasma-treated low-density polyethylene (PT-LDPE) deposited by solvent-casting onto a glassy carbon electrode. PT-LDPE acts as a very simple and cheap mediator between the enzyme and the conducting substrate, the resulting electrode (GOx/PT-LDPE/GC) being able to detect effectively glucose under conditions of pH and temperature that mimic those of sweat. Glucose has been successfully monitored using GOx/PT-LDPE/GC electrodes via both, chronoamperometric and voltammetric measurements. The lowest limit of detection (LOD) was obtained with electrodes prepared with a GOx concentration of 5 mg/mL. This represents a significant reduction in the amount of enzyme as compared to electrodes obtained by dropping GOx onto PT-LDPE/GC (non-covalent immobilization), in which the required enzyme concentration was 33 mg/mL. Furthermore, the LOD has been decreased two orders of magnitude, from 1.3 mM for sensors without covalent immobilization to less than 0.05 mM. It is worth noting that the latter value is fully compatible with glucose concentration in sweat, which ranges from 0.06 to 0.11 mM for healthy patients and from 0.01 to 1 mM in diabetic patients. Moreover, the developed sensor is able to promote the reduction of hydrogen peroxide produced during the oxidation of glucose to gluconolactone.

The Separation of Emulsified Water/Oil Mixtures through Adsorption on Plasma-Treated Polyethylene Powder.

This paper addresses the preparation and characterization of efficient adsorbents for tertiary treatment (oil content below 100 ppm) of oil/water emulsions. Powdered low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was modified by radio-frequency plasma discharge and then used as a medium for the treatment of emulsified diesel oil/water mixtures in the concentration range from 75 ppm to 200 ppm. Plasma treatment significantly increased the wettability of the LDPE powder, which resulted in enhanced sorption capability of the oil component from emulsions in comparison to untreated powder. Emulsions formed from distilled water and commercial diesel oil (DO) with concentrations below 200 ppm were used as a model of oily polluted water. The emulsions were prepared using ultrasonication without surfactant. The droplet size was directly proportional to sonication time and ranged from 135 nm to 185 nm. A sonication time of 20 min was found to be sufficient to prepare stable emulsions with an average droplet size of approximately 150 nm. The sorption tests were realized in a batch system. The effect of contact time and initial oil concentrations were studied under standard atmospheric conditions at a stirring speed of 340 rpm with an adsorbent particle size of 500 microns. The efficiency of the plasma-treated LDPE powder in oil removal was found to be dependent on the initial oil concentration. It decreased from 96.7% to 79.5% as the initial oil concentration increased from 75 ppm to 200 ppm. The amount of adsorbed oil increased with increasing contact time. The fastest adsorption was observed during the first 30 min of treatment. The adsorption kinetics for emulsified oils onto sorbent followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

Plasma-treated polyethylene coated with polysaccharide and protein containing cinnamaldehyde for active packaging films and applications on tilapia (Orechromis niloticus) fillet preservation

This study aimed to develop an antimicrobial active packaging using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or collagen (COL) as carriers of cinnamaldehyde (CNMA) coating on plasma-treated low density polyethylene (LDPE) for application on tilapia fillet packaging. COL carriers exhibited stronger antimicrobial and antioxidant activities than no carrier and CMC. The films also showed good physical and mechanical properties after coating. The results on tilapia preservation analysis showed that the COL with 6% CNMA slowed the total plate count and growth of Vibrio parahaemolyticus by about 1.82 log colony-forming units (CFU)/g and 1.76 log CFU/g compared to the control at day 14. All active films were better than Control in delaying the production of volatile basic nitrogen and thiobarbituric acid during storage whilst simultaneously maintaining organoleptic properties. Based on results, the antimicrobial active films significantly prolonged the shelf life of tilapia fillets to 3 days compared with the Control group. The COL with 6% CNMA may potentially play an effective role in maintaining and preserving the microbial qualities of tilapia fillets.

Highly ductile ultra-rapid-hardening mortar containing oxidized polyethylene fibers

This study aims to develop a strain-hardening ultra-rapid-hardening mortar (URHM). A mixture of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement, ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and gypsum was used to prepare the ultra-rapid hardening cement along with 2% (by volume) polyethylene (PE) fibers. The PE fibers were oxidized by plasma and chromic acid treatments to achieve a robust strain-hardening characteristic. Test results indicated that the tensile strain-hardening behavior of the URHM was achieved in only 4 h of air-drying curing and further improved through surface treatments. The compressive strength of the URHM with untreated PE fibers at 4 h and 28 d of air-drying curing was found to be 37.9 and 60.0 MPa, respectively, and it was slightly enhanced by using the treated PE fibers. Tensile strength and energy absorption capacity of about 5.1 MPa and 124.8 kJ/m3, respectively, were achieved for the URHM at an early age (4 h) using the plasma-treated PE fibers. The tensile performance of the URHM improved with the increase in the air-drying curing age and by using oxidized PE fibers. It was identified that the plasma treatments were more effective than the chromic acid treatment. Finally, the highest tensile strength and energy absorption capacity of approximately 9.95 MPa and 381.1 kJ/m3 were observed in the URHM containing oxygen-gas-treated PE fibers after 28 d of curing.

Triboelectric Charging of Granular Polymers Previously Exposed to Dielectric Barrier Discharges in Atmospheric Air

The aim of the present article is to study the feasibility of continuous dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) treatment of granular plastic materials in view of improving their triboelectric charging ability, and assessing the effectiveness of associating plasma treatment with the triboelectrostatic separation process. The effects of the following DBD parameters were studied: the amplitude and the frequency of the applied high voltage, the thickness of the dielectric barrier, the distance between the electrodes of the reactor as well as the speed of the conveyor that was used for the transfer of the granular materials though the nonthermal plasma zone. The study was carried out on millimeter-sized polyethylene particles. It was found that the charge of DBD-treated particles increases with the applied high voltage and decreases with the speed of the conveyor. Both the distance between the electrodes and the thickness of the dielectric barrier have a remarkable effect on the charge acquired after DBD treatment. Within the experimental domain of this study, the frequency of the high voltage does not significantly affect the efficiency of the tribocharging process. Under optimal operating conditions given by the first series of experiments, two distinct triboelectrical series were established, one for treated particles and the other for untreated particles, using eight types of granular plastics [acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, crystalline polycarbonate, polystyrene (PS), high impact polystyrene, and crystalline polystyrene], Finally, an electrostatic separation experiment was carried out on a plasma-treated PE–PS mixture using a roll type electrostatic separator. The results were then compared with those obtained for an untreated mixture. It was found that plasma treatment improved by about 40% the purity and recovery of the sorted products.

Uniform Area Treatment for Surface Modification by Simple Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment Technique

The atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) has a merit to treat curved or 3D surface without using a ground electrode but nonetheless limits applications for expanding treatment area due to the localized ionization energy induced by the propagation along the direction of guided ionization waves. This paper proposes a uniform area treatment for surface modification based on the experimental case studies relative to variations of the APPJ structures, such as the number of array jets and guide-tube, including bluff-body (GB) system plus gas compositions. In these case studies, the current, infrared (IR), and optical emission spectrum (OES) are analyzed to investigate the factors affecting intensive glow-like plasma generation for uniform area treatment. Plasma-treated polyethylene terephtalate (PET) films are additionally examined to check the possibility of uniform area treatment for surface modification by using atomic force microscope (AFM), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water contact angle (WCA). Only in case of three-array jets with GB system using Ar with O2 gas, the intense glow-like plasma is observed to be produced widely in discharge space, thereby enabling the entire surface of PET films to be treated uniformly. In particular, the proposed APPJs are observed to generate more abundantly the reactive nitrogen species (RNS) ranging from 330 and 380 nm and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) at 777.4 and 844.6 nm. Furthermore, the plasma-treated PET film shows that the abundant RNS and ROS play a significant role in smoothening and changing its surface into hydrophilic surface. As a result, it is confirmed that the intense glow-like plasma generated broadly by the proposed APPJs can uniformly treat the entire surface of PET films.

Insight into the remaining high surface energy of atmospheric DBD plasma-treated polyethylene web after three months’ aging

In this paper, we report the modification of polyethylene (45 μm in thickness) webs through a roll-to-roll dielectric barrier discharge plasma treatment in an open atmospheric environment. Our work differs from the normal adopted corona discharge treatment at an atmospheric pressure, in that three monomers: allylamine, acrylic acid, and ethanol, are inlet into the discharge zone by argon (Ar) carrier gas. As a comparison, Ar plasma treatment is also carried out. We focus on the aging properties of treated plastics in the open air. It is found that the modified webs can retain the surface energy as high as 50.0 ± 1 mN m−1 for more than three months. After characterization of the as-prepared and aged samples by the surface roughness, the wettability, and the chemical structure, the mechanism of retaining high surface energy is then presumed. We think that the initial high surface energy just after plasma treatment is correlated to the grafted functional groups, while the over 50.0 mN m−1 remaining surface energy after three month aging is due to the stable concentrations of oxygen-contained and nitrogen-contained groups by post-reaction on the surfaces.

Nanocellulose Modified Polyethylene Separators for Lithium Metal Batteries.

Poor cycling stability and safety concerns regarding lithium (Li) metal anodes are two major issues preventing the commercialization of high-energy density Li metal-based batteries. Herein, a novel tri-layer separator design that significantly enhances the cycling stability and safety of Li metal-based batteries is presented. A thin, thermally stable, flexible, and hydrophilic cellulose nanofiber layer, produced using a straightforward paper-making process, is directly laminated on each side of a plasma-treated polyethylene (PE) separator. The 2.5 µm thick, mesoporous (≈20 nm average pore size) cellulose nanofiber layer stabilizes the Li metal anodes by generating a uniform Li+ flux toward the electrode through its homogenous nanochannels, leading to improved cycling stability. As the tri-layer separator maintains its dimensional stability even at 200 °C when the internal PE layer is melted and blocks the ion transport through the separator, the separator also provides an effective thermal shutdown function. The present nanocellulose-based tri-layer separator design thus significantly facilitates the realization of high-energy density Li metal-based batteries.

Effects of low-pressure nitrogen plasma treatment on the surface properties and electrochemical performance of the polyethylene separator used lithium-ion batteries

In this paper, we describe the surface transition of the polyethylene (PE) separator used in lithium-ion batteries treated by low-pressure nitrogen plasma discharge. The nitrogen-plasma-treated PE separator was characterized by contact angle measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical performance of the lithium ion batteries fabricated with the nitrogen-plasma-treated separator was also evaluated. Results showed that polar functionalization groups were induced on the PE surface by the nitrogen plasma discharge, causing the surface to become hydrophilic. The increases in surface wettability and surface free energy result in electrolyte retention improvement. Moreover, the nitrogen plasma-treated PE separator leads to superior performance in lithium-ion battery assembly.

Cell Proliferation on Polyethylene Terephthalate Treated in Plasma Created in SO2/O2 Mixtures

Samples of polymer polyethylene terephthalate were exposed to a weakly ionized gaseous plasma to modify the polymer surface properties for better cell cultivation. The gases used for treatment were sulfur dioxide and oxygen of various partial pressures. Plasma was created by an electrodeless radio frequency discharge at a total pressure of 60 Pa. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed weak functionalization of the samples’ surfaces with the sulfur, with a concentration around 2.5 at %, whereas the oxygen concentration remained at the level of untreated samples, except when the gas mixture with oxygen concentration above 90% was used. Atomic force microscopy revealed highly altered morphology of plasma-treated samples; however, at high oxygen partial pressures this morphology vanished. The samples were then incubated with human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Biological tests to determine endothelialization and possible toxicity of the plasma-treated polyethylene terephthalate samples were performed. Cell metabolic activity (MTT) and in vitro toxic effects of unknown compounds (TOX) were assayed to determine the biocompatibility of the treated substrates. The biocompatibility demonstrated a well-pronounced maximum versus gas composition which correlated well with development of the surface morphology.

Preparation and properties of emulsifier‐/solvent‐free polyurethane‐acrylic hybrid emulsions for binder materials: Effect of the glycidyl methacrylate/acrylonitrile content

ABSTRACTTo obtain binder materials, emulsions of emulsifier‐/solvent‐free waterborne polyurethane‐acrylic hybrids with a fixed acrylic monomer content (30 wt %) were prepared in this study. This study focused on the effect of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)/acrylonitrile (AN) wt % on the shelf stability, mean particle size and viscosity of hybrid emulsion samples, water swelling %/dynamic mechanical thermal properties/mechanical properties of hybrid film samples, and the failure mode and adhesive strength of binder materials prepared in this study. Characterization of the chemical structures of prepolymers, hybrid materials (binder materials), and atmospheric pressure plasma‐treated polyethylene (PE) has been performed by means of Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy to determine the presence/disappearance/peak intensity change of functional groups. Various properties such as mean particle size, viscosity, Tg, water swelling %, hardness and mechanical properties, and failure mode and adhesive strength for leather/leather, control PE/leather, and plasma‐treated PE/leather were found to be significantly dependent on the weight ratio of GMA/AN. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44497.

The interplay of plasma treatment and gold coating and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene: On the cytocompatibility

We have investigated the application of Ar plasma for creation of nanostructured ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (PE) surface in order to enhance adhesion of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (L929). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the interface between plasma-treated and gold-coated PE on adhesion and spreading of cells. The surface properties of pristine samples and its modified counterparts were studied by different experimental techniques (gravimetry, goniometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrokinetic analysis), which were used for characterization of treated and sputtered layers, polarity and surface chemical structure, respectively. Further, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to study the surface morphology and roughness. Biological responses of cells seeded on PE samples were evaluated in terms of cell adhesion, spreading, morphology and proliferation. Detailed cell morphology and intercellular connections were followed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As it was expected the thickness of a deposited gold film was an increasing function of the sputtering time. Despite the fact that plasma treatment proceeded in inert plasma, oxidized degradation products were formed on the PE surface which would contribute to increased hydrophilicity (wettability) of the plasma treated polymer. The XPS method showed a decrease in carbon concentration with increasing plasma treatment. Cell adhesion measured on the interface between plasma treated and gold coated PE was inversely proportional to the thickness of a gold layer on a sample.

Surface-modified polyethylene separator via oxygen plasma treatment for lithium ion battery

Abstract The separator is an important component in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, commercial separators such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are in urgent need to be modified to improve the surface properties to meet requirements for high performance LIBs. In this study, oxygen plasma has been applied to modify the surface of PE separating membrane with functional groups, which has greatly improved the electrolyte wettability and retention of PE separators. The cells with plasma-treated PE separators showed improved charge–discharge capability with lower interfacial resistance and stable cycling performance. This result demonstrates a high potential of the plasma-treated PE separator in LIBs.