A polymerized film of eriochrome black T (EBT) was prepared on the surface of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode in alkaline solution by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The redox response of the poly(EBT) film at the GC electrode appeared in a couple of redox peak in 0.1 M hydrochloride and the pH dependent peak potential was -55.1 mV/pH which was close to the Nernst behavior. The poly(EBT) film-coated GC electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidations of dopamine (DA), ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) in 0.05 mM phosphate buffer solution (pH 4.0) and lowered the overpotential for oxidation of DA. The polymer film modified GC electrode conspicuously enhanced the redox currents of DA. AA and UA, and could sensitively and separately determine DA at its low concentration (0.1 mu M) in the presence of 4000 and 700 times higher concentrations of AA and UA, respectively. The separations of anodic peak potentials of DA-AA and UA-DA reached 210 mV and 170 mV. respectively, by cyclic voltammetry. Using differential pulse voltammetry, the calibration curves for DA, AA and UA were obtained over the range of 0.1-200 mu M, 0.15-1 mM and 10-130 mu M, respectively. With good selectivity and sensitivity, the present method provides a simple method for selective detection of DA, AA and UA in biological samples. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.