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.