Here, measurements take place on a polished glassy carbon disk embedded in an insulating body. With a high overpotential for hydrogen and oxygen evolution, glassy carbon offers a wide working range in aqueous media and is chemically stable. That is why it is the most common carbon electrode; voltammetry, electrochemical sensors and thin-film catalyst tests are its main applications.

In the L-shaped body the rod ends in a short perpendicular head; the glassy carbon disk is on its end face and faces sideways, 90° to the body. The disk can thus face, and sit close to, an optical window, a light source or the reference electrode. Disk diameters: Ø1–6 mm (US) or Ø1–10, 15, 20 mm (Japan). The rigid PEEK body withstands mechanical stress. Straight, T-shaped and PTFE L-type versions are separate products.

Key Features

Glassy carbon: the most common type of carbon electrode; chemically stable with a wide potential range
L-shaped body: the disk is on the end face of a short perpendicular head; the surface faces sideways, 90° to the body axis
PEEK body: hard and rigid (Shore D ≈ 85) and resistant to creep under load; not for use with concentrated sulfuric or nitric acid
US-origin (Ø1–6 mm) and Japan-origin (Ø1–10, 15, 20 mm) glassy carbon disk options
Surface suited to preparing thin films by drop-casting catalyst ink onto the disk
Body length 60 mm, total length ≈75 mm (manufacturer data); gold-plated contact pin at the tail
Surface can be polished to a mirror finish; final polishing with 0.05 µm alumina

Technical Specifications

Electrode type	Glassy carbon disk working electrode
Electrode shape	L-shaped; disk on the end face of a short perpendicular head (faces sideways, 90° to the body)
Body material	PEEK (polyether ether ketone)
Disk diameter	US-origin: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 mm · Japan-origin: 1–10, 15, 20 mm
Glassy carbon length	5–10 mm (manufacturer data)
Body / total length	60 mm / ≈75 mm (manufacturer data)
Connection	Gold-plated pin
Approx. potential window (vs. RHE)	0.1 M H₂SO₄: ≈ −0.42 to +1.76 V · 0.1 M NaOH: ≈ −0.64 to +1.66 V; depends on electrolyte and purity
Polishing	Alumina slurry on microcloth (final step 0.05 µm), then rinse with pure water; if needed, ultrasonic cleaning for no more than 5 minutes
Body chemical resistance	Resistant to most aqueous and organic media; not compatible with concentrated sulfuric acid, concentrated nitric acid or halogen acids such as HF, HBr, HI
Operating temperature	Not specified for this product. One electrode maker recommends 10–80 °C for similar PEEK-body disk electrodes; extreme temperatures can damage the disk–body seal

Available Options

Origin and Diameter	Description
US-Origin 1 mm	US-origin glassy carbon, Ø1 mm disk
US-Origin 2 mm	US-origin glassy carbon, Ø2 mm disk
US-Origin 3 mm	US-origin glassy carbon, Ø3 mm disk
US-Origin 4 mm	US-origin glassy carbon, Ø4 mm disk
US-Origin 5 mm	US-origin glassy carbon, Ø5 mm disk
US-Origin 6 mm	US-origin glassy carbon, Ø6 mm disk
Japan-Origin 1 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø1 mm disk
Japan-Origin 2 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø2 mm disk
Japan-Origin 3 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø3 mm disk
Japan-Origin 4 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø4 mm disk
Japan-Origin 5 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø5 mm disk
Japan-Origin 6 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø6 mm disk
Japan-Origin 7 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø7 mm disk
Japan-Origin 8 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø8 mm disk
Japan-Origin 9 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø9 mm disk
Japan-Origin 10 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø10 mm disk
Japan-Origin 15 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø15 mm disk
Japan-Origin 20 mm	Japan-origin glassy carbon, Ø20 mm disk

For sizes and specifications not listed above, you can request a custom quotation through the Quote Form.

Applications

Cells with an optical window such as in-situ Raman cells: the disk faces the window and sits close to it
Photoelectrochemistry setups: the disk surface can be turned toward the light source
Cyclic and linear sweep voltammetry (CV, LSV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV)
Electrocatalyst tests: thin films prepared by drop-casting catalyst ink onto the disk
Development of electrochemical sensors, biosensors and chemically modified electrodes
Setups where the electrode is frequently removed and refitted and the body is under mechanical stress