AWO(4) (A = Ca, Sr) was prepared from metal salts [Ca(NO3)(2)center dot 4H(2)O or Sr(NO3)(2)], Na2WO4 center dot 2H(2)O and different moles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in water by cyclic microwave irradiation. The structure of AWO(4) was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of nanoparticles in clusters with different morphologies; spheres, peaches with notches, dumb-bells and bundles, influenced by CTAB. Six Raman vibrational peaks of scheelite structure were detected at 908, 835, 793, 399, 332 and 210 cm(-1) for CaWO4 and 917, 833, 795, 372, 336 and 192 cm(-1) for SrWO4, which are assigned as nu(1)(A(g)), nu(3)(B-g), nu 3(E-g), nu(4)(B-g), nu 2(A(g)) and nu(f.r.)(A(g)), respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra provided the evidence of W-O stretching vibration in [WO4](2)-tetrahedrons at 793 cm(-1) for CaWO4 and 807 cm(-1) for SrWO4. The peaks of photoluminescence (PL) spectra were at 428-434 nm for CaWO4, and 447-451 nm for SrWO4. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.