A facile synthesis of SBA-15/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites was developed via chemical polymerization in a pH 3 solution based on the electrostatic adsorption of positively charged anilinium ions on negatively charged SBA-15. X-ray diffraction, N(2) sorption isotherms, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy characteristics indicated that PANI chains were distributed both on the inside and outside surfaces of the SBA-15 pores. A possible synthetic scheme for the creation of nanocomposites has been proposed. The SBA-15/PANI nanocomposites showed high, stable electrochemical activity in neutral and acidic conditions. The preliminary use of the SBA-15/PANI nanocomposites as an electroactive support for the selective detection of uric acid (UA) in the presence of a large excess of ascorbic acid (AA) demonstrates this material's potential for use in electrochemical biosensors. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.