AbstractLead iodide starting materials have been purified by vertical zone refining process. The purest materials of the zone-refined ingot, middle zone, were used for single crystal growth by Bridgman method. Differential scanning calorimetry, current-voltage and low temperature photoluminescence measurements were employed to investigate the effectness of zone refining process and as-grown crystal. The results showed that the materials from the middle section of zone-refined ingot is the purest, followed by first-to-freeze and last-to-freeze materials. No second phase and deviation from stoichiometry have been observed after zone refining process and Bridgman crystal growth method. The resistivities increase as the purity and crystallinity of materials increases. Cleavage of as-grown crystal did damage the surface and caused additional emission at 2.0 eV. This emission band was not observed after a 10% NaI solution etching.