Passivated and stabilized porous mineral oxide supports and methods for the preparation and use of same

A method of separating a preselected biological molecule from a sample containing same comprising:

• (a) loading a column, packed with the passivated porous support comprising (i) a porous mineral oxide having interior and exterior surfaces substantially covered by a thin, protective polymer surface coating having innate hydrophobic groups that render said coating susceptible to undersirable non-specific interaction with one or more biological molecules, (ii) a polymer network derived from a passivation mixture comprising a main monomer which is selected to provide a polymer network that has affinity for a preselected biological molecule, a passivating monomer different from said main monomer, and a crosslinking agent, said mixture having been allowed to come into intimate contact with said surfaces of said coating such that on polymerization of said mixture said innate groups of said coating become deactivated, resulting in the substantial elimination of said undersirable non-specific interaction, with a sample containing a preselected biological molecule to be separated from a mixture;
• (b) passing an eluent solution through said loaded column to effect the separation of said biological molecule.