Molecularly imprinted polymer for a typical polyaromatic hydrocarbon, naphthalene, was synthesized. Silver ions are incorporated during the synthesis and the equilibrium uptake of the template molecule (naphthalene) by the imprinted polymer was found to be many folds higher than the uptake of the molecule by the imprinted polymer prepared in the absence of the metal ions. The enhanced adsorption was attributed due to the improved interaction between the template molecules and the monomers which is reasoned to be induced by the silver ions. It appears that the adsorption capacity of molecules without having any functional groups could be increased by the methodology reported here. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.