Lead iodide (PbI2) shows excellent electronic properties for detection of ionizing radiation. We report the introduction of rare-earth elements and other elements as admixtures during synthesis to study their influence on the quality of single crystals. Synthesized material as well as single crystals have been characterized by measurements of electrical resistivity and low-temperature photo luminescence and index of refraction. The Structural quality with respect to polytypes was analysed by electron back scatter diffraction. Makyoh topography was applied for surface studies. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.