In this work, a novel imprinted electrochemical sensor based on nickel nanoparticles-graphene modified electrode carbon electrode was developed for the determination of 3, 3', 5, 5'-tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA).The preparation procedure of imprinted electrode was discussed. The electrochemical characteristics of the imprinted sensor were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in detail. The response currents density of the imprinted electrode exhibited a linear relationship toward TBBPA concentrations ranging from 5.0 x 10(-10) to 1.0 x 10(-5) mol L-1 with the detection limit of 1.3 x 0(-10) mol L-1 (S/N =3). The developed electrochemical imprinted sensor was applied to the direct determination of TBBPA in tap water, rain and lake water samples using standard addition method successfully. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.