A composite obtained by depositing platinum nanoparticles in a polytyramine (PTy) matrix, electrochemically formed on graphite substrate, was used as electrode material for the investigation of phenol oxidation by use of anodic voltammetry. The results show that, in acidic media, the measurement of the oxidation peak current can be used as the basis for a simple, rapid method for the determination of phenol within a concentration range of 0.3-10 mM. A much better resistance to fouling during phenol detection (compared both with smooth platinum and with Pt nanoparticles on bare graphite substrate) is the main advantage of the Pt-PTy composite. These results are also noteworthy because they provide a basis for additional experiments devoted to obtaining new composite materials with improved performances for phenol anodic oxidation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.