The chemical structure of diamond is defined as an endless lattice in which each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four other carbon atoms at the four points of a tetrahedron. But of course they aren't endless; diamonds have edges and faces. So what happens when the lattice reaches the edge and there aren't any other carbon atoms to bond to? What is the "surface layer" of a diamond composed of?
What is the edge of a diamond like?
Mason Wheeler
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