Mitoxantrone - an anticancer drug - was used to probe the interactions of this class of cytostatic molecules with biomimetic monolayers. The drug effect was monitored with electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), as well as spectroscopic techniques (surface enhanced Raman scattering), during its passive partitioning/penetration through the mixed Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers after their transfer on gold electrodes. This approach allowed us to discriminate between the drug interactions with hydrophilic head-group region and hydrophobic alkyl chains moiety of such monolayers. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.