A method of making a liquid dispersion for the manufacture of a photonic crystal. The method comprises dispersing monodispersed spheres in a liquid to form a liquid dispersion, and subjecting the liquid dispersion to an ultrasonic treatment. Ammonia solution may also be added to the liquid dispersion. The ultrasound treatment breaks up agglomerations of monodispersed spheres, and the resulting photonic crystal made using the dispersion is more highly ordered and hence of higher quality.

A method of making a liquid dispersion for the manufacture of a photonic crystal. The method comprises dispersing monodispersed spheres in a liquid to form a liquid dispersion, and subjecting the liquid dispersion to an ultrasonic treatment. Ammonia solution may also be added to the liquid dispersion. The ultrasound treatment breaks up agglomerations of monodispersed spheres, and the resulting photonic crystal made using the dispersion is more highly ordered and hence of higher quality.

The purpose of diffusion assisted crystal hydrothermal growth is to facilitate a greatly increased crystal growth rate that would save time that is precious in such a material and manpower costly process. The assisted crystal growth itself requires the utilization of a piezoelectric shaker connected to the autoclave in which most industrial hydrothermal crystals are grown. The waveform can be modulated to induce transport of nutrient in a singular direction, customized to the topology of the apparatus. As it stands currently, the growth of most crystals that require autoclaves for their production can take anywhere from 3 months to up to 2 years, and accordingly carries many costs, particularly electricity and supervision of the autoclave(s), and other issues that may arise during the growth. While the product of this labor results in high-quality crystals, in reality, these are not at all what is needed outside of the laboratory environment. Using the assisted crystal hydrothermal growth process, average crystal growth can be cut in half, with the resulting crystals consequently being of a slightly lower quality, though still sufficient for most engineering purposes. Another advantage of using a piezoelectric shaker is that an additional sensor can be added to the autoclave to monitor the health of the autoclave using trending data obtained during the growth.

The purpose of diffusion assisted crystal hydrothermal growth is to facilitate a greatly increased crystal growth rate that would save time that is precious in such a material and manpower costly process. The assisted crystal growth itself requires the utilization of a piezoelectric shaker connected to the autoclave in which most industrial hydrothermal crystals are grown. The waveform can be modulated to induce transport of nutrient in a singular direction, customized to the topology of the apparatus. As it stands currently, the growth of most crystals that require autoclaves for their production can take anywhere from 3 months to up to 2 years, and accordingly carries many costs, particularly electricity and supervision of the autoclave(s), and other issues that may arise during the growth. While the product of this labor results in high-quality crystals, in reality, these are not at all what is needed outside of the laboratory environment. Using the assisted crystal hydrothermal growth process, average crystal growth can be cut in half, with the resulting crystals consequently being of a slightly lower quality, though still sufficient for most engineering purposes. Another advantage of using a piezoelectric shaker is that an additional sensor can be added to the autoclave to monitor the health of the autoclave using trending data obtained during the growth.

Crystalline α-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles prepared by ultrasonic treatment of a solution of an iron (III)-containing precursor and an extract from the seeds of a plant in the family Linaceae. The crystalline α-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles have a spherical morphology with a diameter of 100 nm to 300 nm, a mean surface area of 240 to 260 m.sup.2/g, and a type-II nitrogen adsorption-desorption BET isotherm with a H3 hysteresis loop. The crystalline α-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles have a band gap of 2.10 to 2.16 eV and a mean pore size of 7.25 to 9.25 nm. A method for the photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants using the crystalline α-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles. An antibacterial composition containing the crystalline α-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles.

A method for preparing an electrolytic copper foil includes placing an anode and a cathode to be plated in a twin crystal growth agent containing electroplating solution in an electroplating tank, and, under conditions that the electroplating solution is provided with randomly alternating transitions of one or two of an ultrasonic wave at a frequency f11 and an ultrasonic wave at a frequency f12 and one or two of an ultrasonic wave at a frequency f21 and an ultrasonic wave at a frequency f22, performing direct current electroplating to obtain the electrolytic copper foil, wherein f11>40 kHz, 15 kHz<f12≤40 kHz, 0 kHz<f21≤15 kHz, and f22=0 kHz.

A method for preparing an electrolytic copper foil includes placing an anode and a cathode to be plated in a twin crystal growth agent containing electroplating solution in an electroplating tank, and, under conditions that the electroplating solution is provided with randomly alternating transitions of one or two of an ultrasonic wave at a frequency f11 and an ultrasonic wave at a frequency f12 and one or two of an ultrasonic wave at a frequency f21 and an ultrasonic wave at a frequency f22, performing direct current electroplating to obtain the electrolytic copper foil, wherein f11>40 kHz, 15 kHz<f12≤40 kHz, 0 kHz<f21≤15 kHz, and f22=0 kHz.

A method for producing crystalline α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles involving ultrasonic treatment of a solution of an iron (III)-containing precursor and an extract from the seeds of a plant in the family Linaceae. The method involves preparing an aqueous extract from the seeds of a plant in the family Linacae and dropwise addition of the extract to the solution of an iron (III)-containing precursor. The method yields crystalline nanoparticles of α-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 having a spherical morphology with a diameter of 100 nm to 300 nm, a mean surface area of 240 to 250 m.sup.2/g, and a type-II nitrogen adsorption-desorption BET isotherm with a H3 hysteresis loop. A method for the photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants using the nanoparticles is disclosed. An antibacterial composition containing the crystalline α-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles is also disclosed.

A method for producing crystalline α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles involving ultrasonic treatment of a solution of an iron (III)-containing precursor and an extract from the seeds of a plant in the family Linaceae. The method involves preparing an aqueous extract from the seeds of a plant in the family Linaceae and dropwise addition of the extract to the solution of an iron (III)-containing precursor. The method yields crystalline nanoparticles of α-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 having a spherical morphology with a diameter of 100 nm to 300 nm, a mean surface area of 240 to 250 m.sup.2/g, and a type-II nitrogen adsorption-desorption BET isotherm with a H3 hysteresis loop. A method for the photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants using the nanoparticles is disclosed. An antibacterial composition containing the crystalline α-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles is also disclosed.

A method for producing crystalline -Fe2O3 nanoparticles involving ultrasonic treatment of a solution of an iron (III)-containing precursor and an extract from the seeds of a plant in the family Linaceae. The method involves preparing an aqueous extract from the seeds of a plant in the family Linacae and dropwise addition of the extract to the solution of an iron (III)-containing precursor. The method yields crystalline nanoparticles of -Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 having a spherical morphology with a diameter of 100 nm to 300 nm, a mean surface area of 240 to 250 m.sup.2/g, and a type-II nitrogen adsorption-desorption BET isotherm with a H3 hysteresis loop. A method for the photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants using the nanoparticles is disclosed. An antibacterial composition containing the crystalline -Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles is also disclosed.