Abstract: A method of coating a solid support (e.g. a capillary or chromatography packing) to alter the properties of the support surface for separating components in a fluid stream. The method comprises (a) covalently binding a coupling agent (including functional groups capable of forming free radical sites under hydrogen abstraction conditions) to the support surface in a uniform layer, and (b) thereafter, contacting the bound coupling agent with a solution of preformed polymer comprising totally saturated carbon chain backbones including leaving groups, under hydrogen abstraction conditions of elevated temperature in the presence of a free radical catalyst to remove leaving groups from the carbon chains to form free radical carbon binding sites which covalently bond to the coupling agent layer and to crosslink at least some of the preformed polymer through the free radical carbon binding sites to form a dimensional polymer network coating on said solid support surface.