Covalent network crystals are solids in which every atom is joined to its neighbors by covalent bonds extending throughout the entire structure, making the whole solid effectively one molecule; diamond (a carbon lattice where each atom forms four covalent bonds) is the prototypical example, and this bonding pattern gives such crystals the highest strength and boiling points among solid types. This concept belongs to chemistry, within the broader study of intermolecular and interatomic bonding, and it sits at the strong end of a spectrum of crystalline solids that also includes ionic and metallic crystals, contrasted with molecular solids held together only by weaker intermolecular forces (dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding, London dispersion).
Covalent network crystals are solids in which every atom is joined to its neighbors by covalent bonds extending throughout the entire structure, making the whole solid effectively one molecule; diamo…