<p>In this work, creatinine-copper interaction was studied with electrochemical and UV–vis spectroscopy, and the interaction was leveraged to validate the successful fabrication of a molecularly imprinted creatinine sensing platform. From electrochemical analyses, carried out with both bare Pt and Cu⁰-deposited Pt electrodes, it was determined that creatinine reacts majorly with Cu¹⁺ ions in the aqueous medium and UV–vis analysis confirmed that creatinine-copper(I) complexation occurs steadily over a longer period of time than creatinine-copper(II). The controlled potential sweep method enabled the correct assignment of all four redox peaks of copper. A well-resolved voltammogram with reproducible peak position and peak intensity was obtained after the 10th cycle of the cyclic voltammogram run. Electrochemical co-deposition of creatinine and pyrrole was carried out, eventually leading to an MIP platform fabrication. UV–vis and FTIR analysis indicated H-bonding interaction between pyrrole monomers and creatinine. SEM analysis revealed globular structures of the creatinine-imprinted polypyrrole film with creatinine binding sites, and the successful fabrication was further validated by innovative electrochemical approaches. The work has created a new avenue for copper metal-based creatinine sensor development.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>