Sonochemical synthesis of PbWO4 nanoparticles

Lead tungstate (PbWO4), an important inorganic scintillator, was synthesized via a mild sonochemical route from an aqueous solution of lead acetate and sodium tungstate in the presence of complexing agents under ambient air. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) were used to characterize the products. The as-prepared PbWO4 nanocrystals crystallize in a tetragonal structure and have an average crystal size of ca. 10 nm.