Introduction
The Gold Rotating Disk Electrode (Gold RDE) is used for voltammetric applications that require a solid-state gold working electrode, including specialized trace analysis methods. To ensure reliable performance, the Gold RDE must be used with dedicated accessories that are free of platinum and mercury. Instead of a platinum auxiliary electrode, a glassy carbon rod is used. Before beginning, gather the required components, including the Gold RDE drive shaft and electrode tip, reference electrode, glassy carbon auxiliary electrode, and the appropriate measuring head and electrode cables.
During setup, the Gold RDE is installed in the rotating drive mechanism, the reference and auxiliary electrodes are assembled, and each electrode is connected to the correct instrument input. Before use, the gold electrode surface must be properly conditioned according to the application instructions to regenerate and activate the electrode surface. To preserve the performance of the electrode, avoid mechanical treatments such as polishing with aluminum oxide, particularly when performing trace analysis. Following these preparation steps helps ensure accurate, reproducible voltammetric measurements.
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Topics Covered
- The use of the gold RDE requires special accessories. These must be free of platinum and mercury and should only be used with this type of electrode. A glassy-carbon rod is used as an auxiliary electrode instead of platinum.
- The working electrode consists of a drive shaft and an electrode tip.
- The gold electrode tip is available in two versions, with the "Gold lateral" version being specifically used for the determination of arsenic according to Application Bulletin 226.
- The RDE is inserted into the RDE measuring head using the drive mechanism. The reference and auxiliary electrodes are then added.
- Connect the electrode cables to the corresponding electrodes:
WE – Gold RDE,
RE – Reference electrode,
AE – Auxiliary electrode - Solid-state electrodes must be conditioned to regenerate and activate the electrode surface.
Refer to the application instructions for electrode preparation information. - When using the gold electrode for trace analysis, any mechanical treatment, such as polishing with aluminum oxide, is strongly discouraged!
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