The PbWO4 dendritic crystals with uniform size and shape have been synthesized via a wet chemical process by using cetyltrimethylammonium bromine (CTAB) as directing agent. The products were characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Experiment results indicate that the surfactant CTAB and reaction temperature played a critical role in the formation of the PbWO4 dendrites. A growth mechanism of the PbWO4 nanostructure was proposed. The luminescence properties were investigated and the prepared structures displayed a very strong blue/green luminescence at the room temperature. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.