Chemistry · Ch 11 — The p-Block Elements
Diamond
Diamond
Diamond
In diamond, every carbon atom is hybridised and covalently bonded to four neighbouring carbon atoms arranged tetrahedrally, with a C–C bond length of 154 pm (Fig. 11.3 shows this tetrahedral lattice extending in three dimensions). This bonding pattern repeats endlessly through the crystal, producing a single, rigid, three-dimensional network of strong, highly directional covalent bonds with no weak links anywhere in the structure.
Because breaking such an extended covalent network takes an enormous amount of energy, diamond is the hardest known natural substance and also has an extremely high melting point. These properties make it valuable as an abrasive for sharpening hard tools, and it is also used in dye manufacture and to make tungsten filaments for electric light bulbs. …
What this figure shows. A ball-and-stick style line diagram of the diamond lattice: identical dark spheres (carbon atoms) are connected by straight lines (covalent bonds) radiating outward in a tetrahedral branching pattern, building up a dense, symmetric three-dimensional cage/lattice network extending across the whole figure. One bond near the top is labelled with a double-headed arrow marked '154 pm', indicating the C-C bond length, showing the structure clearly extends in three dimensions with atoms at …