ABSTRACT
The electronic con guration of carbon atom is 1s22s22p2. The net spin and orbital moment of the unpaired electrons in the p-orbital are “S = 1” and “L = 1,” respectively. This yields the ground state with minimum J = L − S = 0 (3P0). In order to satisfy the tetravalent criteria, an “s” electron must be transferred to a vacant 2p-state to yield 2s12p3 unsaturated con guration. This is the so-called sp3-hybridized electron states. Normally, the tendency of atoms or molecules to coalesce in order to form solids leads to reduction of energy due to overlap of electron wave functions, which ultimately result in the formation of energy bands. The energy difference between the free states of atoms and bound states in a solid is normally utilized for the transfer of electron from “s” to “p” orbital. These results in the formation of covalent bonds via sp3-hybridized orbital and the bonds are directed along the axes of tetrahedron geometry.
