PbWO4 two-dimensional dendritic nanostructures (2DDNs) were prepared at room temperature through a facile aqueous solution route. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer were used to characterize the obtained samples. The PbWO4 2DDN was in one plane, with a nearly circular shape and sizes of similar to 10 mu m. The PbWO4 2DDNs were composed of curved nanowires around 200 nm in diameters, which were connected together to form a network nanostructure. The effects of reaction conditions including the concentration of react reagents, the reaction temperature, and the reaction time were systematically investigated and a possible formation mechanism for the formation of 2DDNs was proposed. The optical properties, such as UV-vis spectra and photoluminescence spectra of PbWO4, were studied. The advantages of this synthetic route include the first synthesis of PbWO4 2DDNs, simple synthetic procedure, room reaction temperature, and high reproducibility of the process. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.