Determination of donepezil in serum samples using molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

A molecularly imprinted polymer designed for the selective extraction of donepezil from serum samples was synthesized using a noncovalent molecular imprinting approach. The molecularly imprinted polymer was evaluated chromatographically and then its affinity for donepezil was confirmed by solid-phase extraction. The optimal conditions for solid-phase extraction were provided by cartridge conditioning using acidified water purified from a Milli-Q system, sample loading under basic aqueous conditions, clean-up using acetonitrile, and elution with methanol/tetrahydrofuran. Desirable molecular recognition properties of the molecularly imprinted polymer led to good donepezil recoveries (90-102%). The data indicated that the imprinted polymer has a perfect selectivity and affinity for donepezil and could be used for selective extraction and analysis of donepezil in human serum.