A nanomaterial comprising a plurality of nanoparticles. The plurality of nanoparticles includes at least one dopant and at least one of a metal oxide, a metal phosphate, a metal silicate, a metal hafnate, a metal aluminate, and combinations thereof. The metal is one of an alkali earth metal, a lanthanide, and a transition metal. The plurality of nanoparticles is formed by forming a homogenized precursor solution of at least one metal precursor and at least one dopant precursor, adding a fuel and optionally at least one of a phosphate source, a silicate source, a hafnate source, and an aluminate source to the precursor solution, removing water from the precursor solution to leave a reaction concentrate, and igniting the reaction concentrate to form a powder comprising the nanomaterial. In one embodiment, the nanomaterial is a scintillator material.