An attempt was made to grow naphthalene single crystals doped with various concentrations, ranging from 0.01 to 0.07 mol% of 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO). The crystals were grown from melts by a self-seeding vertical Bridgman technique (SSVBT), in a transparent two-zone furnace. In the present work, a flat interface was maintained for all runs. The optimum crystal growth rates were observed as 1 mm/h for pure and 0.01 mol% PPO-doped naphthalene, 0.7 mm/h for 0.03 mol% and 0.5 mm/h for 0.05 and 0.07 mol%-doped naphthalene. The fluorescence studies were carried out and it reveals the possibility of making a crystal scintillator with PPO impurity. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.