Surface tailoring of polypropylene separators for lithium-ion batteries via N-hydroxyphthalimide catalysis

•Poly (poly (ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (PPEGMA) was grafted onto PP separator by N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) catalysis combined with ARGET-ATRP.•Electrolyte wettability of PPEGMA functionalized PP was enhanced evidently compared to that of pristine PP separator.•Rate performance and long cycle ability for cell with the modified PP separator was improved significantly.•The proposed strategy was also applied to modify other polyolefine membranes for advanced applications.