A poly(melamine)/graphene oxide (PM/GO) layer modified on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was used for the adsorption and electrochemical detection of 2,4,6 trinitrotoluene (TNT). The surface morphology and electrochemical behaviour of the PM/GO/GCE were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (AdCSV). The PM/GO/GCE exhibited excellent adsorption and electrochemical reduction of TNT via the AdCSV technique with two linear ranges, 1-90 mu g L-1 and 100-1000 mu g L-1, a detection limit of 0.34 mu g L-1 and a quantitation limit of 1.14 mu g L-1. The PM/GO/GCE provided for a high sensitivity, good repeatability and selectivity. This modified electrode was successfully applied to detect TNT in soil samples with good recoveries that ranged from 93 to 99%. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.