Abstract: An electrophoretic method of resolving mixtures of molecules by putting the molecules in an ionic form; contracting them with a porous gel made up of a polymer comprising units derived from a monomer of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is H, CH.sub.2 OH or (CHOH).sub.m CH.sub.2 OH, m being 1 or 2;R.sub.2 is H, a monohydroxyalkyl radical, a polyhydroxyalkyl radical or a hydrocarbon radical; andn is an integer of 1-4;imposing electrophoretic conditions on said gel;migrating the different molecules different distances in said gel;and thereby separating said different molecules.

Abstract: An acrylic monomer which is an amino sugar alcohol whose primary or secondary amino group has been derivatized by an acryloyl or a methacryloyl function. The amino group can be linked to any carbon of five or six-carbon sugar alcohols. The acrylic monomer has the formula: ##STR1## where R.sub.1 is H, CH.sub.2 OH or (CHOH).sub.m CH.sub.2 OH, m being 1 or 2;R.sub.2 is monohydroxyalkyl, polyhydroxyalkyl or hydrocarbon radical;R.sub.3 is H or CH.sub.3 ; andn is an integer of 1-4The acrylic monomer can be polymerized by a free radical polymerization, either alone or with other compounds and materials having polymerizable double bonds. The so formed polymers are linear or branched (cross-linked). The cross-linked polymers are usually in the form of gels. The gels can be polymerized in different forms and shapes, i.e., beads, thin sheets, rods, blocks, etc. and are useful as separation media, e.g.