A novel molecularly imprinted conducting polymer (MICP) system with porous thin films of electropolymerized polypyrrole (Ppy) derivatives was successfully developed to detect a specific target molecule (e.g. theophylline). The porous MICP films grown on gold pore arrays through cyclic voltammetry showed increased sensing response in detecting theophylline compared to a conventional planar MICP film due to its improved sensing capacity.