Development and validation of a QuEChERS-HPLC-DAD method using polymer-functionalized melamine sponges for the analysis of antipsychotic drugs in milk.

• Polymer functionalized melamine sponge was used as a novel matrix clean-up agent. • An efficient purification method was developed for antipsychotic drug analysis. • Polymer functionalized sponge is a viable alternative for matrix purification. The prohibition of antipsychotic drugs in animal foodstuffs has raised significant concerns. In this study, a novel matrix purification adsorbent comprising a polymer (polyaniline and polypyrrole)-functionalized melamine sponge (Ms) was employed for the high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) detection of three phenothiazines (chlorpromazine, thioridazine, and promethazine), and a tricyclic imipramine in milk. The as-prepared functionalized Ms was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurements. Excellent linearity with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.999 was achieved for all drugs within the concentration range of 0.01–47.00 μg mL−1. The recoveries of the four analytes ranged from 92.1 % to 106.9 % at the three spiked levels. These results demonstrate the successful application of the proposed method for the determination of the four drugs. Cost-effective polymer-functionalized Ms is a viable alternative for matrix purification, enabling rapid determination of drug residues in diverse food samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]