The active surface is a flat glassy carbon disk at the tip of 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 this L-shaped model the glassy carbon disk sits on the end face of the PTFE body's perpendicular head, so it faces sideways. This suits in-situ Raman cells, where the disk must be close to the window, and photoelectrochemistry, where it faces the light. Disk diameters: Ø1–6 mm (US) or Ø1–10, 15, 20 mm (Japan). PTFE is inert to nearly all chemicals but soft; handle with care. Other shapes and bodies are on separate pages.

Key Features

L-shaped body: the disk is on the end face of a short perpendicular head; the surface faces sideways, 90° to the body axis
Glassy carbon: the most common type of carbon electrode; chemically stable with a wide potential range
PTFE body: inert to nearly all acids, bases and solvents; as a soft material (Shore D ≈ 55) it needs care against scratches and dents
Surface suited to preparing thin films by drop-casting catalyst ink onto the disk
US-origin (Ø1–6 mm) and Japan-origin (Ø1–10, 15, 20 mm) glassy carbon disk options
Surface can be polished to a mirror finish; final polishing with 0.05 µm alumina
Body length 60 mm, total length ≈75 mm (manufacturer data); gold-plated contact pin at the tail

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	PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)
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	Inert to nearly all chemicals and solvents; attacked only by very reactive substances such as elemental alkali metals, elemental fluorine and chlorine trifluoride
Operating temperature	Not specified for this product. One electrode maker recommends 10–25 °C for similar PTFE-body disk electrodes; a body expanding with heat can break the 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

Cyclic and linear sweep voltammetry (CV, LSV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV)
Measurements in strongly acidic electrolytes that damage PEEK, such as concentrated sulfuric acid
Photoelectrochemistry setups: the disk surface can be turned toward the light source
Cells with an optical window such as in-situ Raman cells: the disk faces the window and sits close to it
Electrocatalyst tests: thin films prepared by drop-casting catalyst ink onto the disk
Development of electrochemical sensors, biosensors and chemically modified electrodes