A novel, simple, soft, and fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal method was used for the preparation of single-crystal nanorods of hexagonal rhabdophane-type La(1-x)Sr(x)PO(4-x/2)nH(2)O (x=0 or 0.02) from commercially available La(NO3)(3)6H(2)O, Sr(NO3)(2), and H3PO4. The synthesis was conducted at 130 degrees C for 20min in a sealed-vessel microwave reactor specifically designed for synthetic applications, and the resulting products were characterized using a wide battery of analytical techniques. Highly uniform, well-shaped nanorods of LaPO(4)nH(2)O and La(0.98)Sr(0.02)PO(3.99)nH(2)O were readily obtained, with average length of 213 +/- 41nm and 102 +/- 25nm, average aspect ratio (ratio between length and diameter) of 21 +/- 9 and 12 +/- 5, and specific surface area of 45 +/- 2 and 51 +/- 1m(2)/g, respectively. In both cases, the single-crystal nanorods grew anisotropically along their c crystallographic-axis direction. At 700 degrees C, the hexagonal rhabdophane-type phase has already transformed into the monoclinic monazite-type structure, although the undoped and Sr-doped nanorods retain their morphological features and specific surface area during calcination.