A novel sensitive molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor was constructed for selective detection of clindamycin by combination of a multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) layer with a thin molecularly imprinted sol-gel film. The sensor was fabricated onto Au electrode via stepwise modification of MWNT and a thin sol-gel film of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) by using electrodeposition method. The molecularly imprinted film displayed excellent selectivity towards clindamycin. Due to such combination, the sensor responded quickly to clindamycin. The response peak current was linear to the concentration of clindamycin in the range from 5.0 x 10(-7) mol L-1 to 8.0 x 10(-5) mol L-1, and the detection limit was 2.44 x 10(-8) mol L-1. This imprinted sensor was applied to the determination of clindamycin in human urine samples successfully. These results revealed that the imprinted sensor fulfilled the selectivity, sensitivity, speed and simplicity requirements for clindamycin detection, and provided possibilities of clinical application in physiological fluids. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.