A method for the preparation of functionalized particles, the method comprising: Providing a feedstock at a first temperature, the feedstock comprising substantially symmetric particles, a surface treatment agent reactive with the particles, and solvent; and Exposing the feedstock in a closed vessel microwave to microwave radiation to heat the feedstock and react the particles with the surface treatment agent to provide the functionalized particles in no greater than 2 hours, wherein the surface treatment agent is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, dodecanoic acid, 2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]acetic acid, betacarboxyethylacrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)acetic acid, methoxyphenyl acetic acid, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing; or the surface treatment agent is selected from the group consisting of alkyl amines, aryl amines, alkyl thiols, aryl thiols, alkyl carboxylic acids, aryl carboxylic acids, alkyl phosphinic acids, aryl phosphinic acids and combinations of two or more of the foregoing; or the particles are oxide particles and the surface treatment agent is an organosilane selected from the group consisting of [2-(3-cyclohexenyl)ethyl]trimethoxysilane, trimethoxy(7-octen-1-yl)silane, isooctyl trimethoxy-silane, N-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)methoxyethoxyethoxyethyl carbamate, N-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)methoxy-ethoxyethoxyethyl carbamate, 3-(methacryloyloxy)-propyltrimethoxysilane, allyltrimethoxysilane, 3 -acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-(methacryloyloxy)propyl-triethoxysilane, 3-(methacryloyloxy)propylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3-(acryloyloxypropyl)-methyldimethoxysilane, 3-(methacryloyloxy) propyldimethylethoxysilane, vinyldimethyl-ethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, n-octyltrimethoxysilane, dodecyltrimethoxysilane, octadecyltrimethoxysilane, propyltrimethoxysilane, hexyltrimethoxysilane, vinylmethyldiacetoxysilane, vinylmethyldiethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriisopropoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriphenoxysilane, vinyltri-tbutoxysilane, vinyltris-isobutoxysilane, vinyltriisopropenoxysilane, vinyltris(2-methoxyethoxy)silane, styrylethyltrimethoxysilane, mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3 -glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, heptamethyl(2-[tris(2-methoxyethoxy)-silyl]ethyl)trisiloxane, polydimethylsiloxane, arylsilanes, alkylsilanes, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing; or the particles are silica particles and the surface treatment agent is produced by reaction of suitable difunctional or trifunctional polyols with 3-triethoxysilyl propyl isocyanate. Providing a feedstock at a first temperature, the feedstock comprising substantially symmetric particles, a surface treatment agent reactive with the particles, and solvent; and substantially symmetric particles, a surface treatment agent reactive with the particles, and solvent; and Exposing the feedstock in a closed vessel microwave to microwave radiation to heat the feedstock and react the particles with the surface treatment agent to provide the functionalized particles in no greater than 2 hours, wherein the surface treatment agent is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, dodecanoic acid, 2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]acetic acid, betacarboxyethylacrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)acetic acid, methoxyphenyl acetic acid, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing; or the surface treatment agent is selected from the group consisting of alkyl amines, aryl amines, alkyl thiols, aryl thiols, alkyl carboxylic acids, aryl carboxylic acids, alkyl phosphinic acids, aryl phosphinic acids and combinations of two or more of the foregoing; or the particles are oxide particles and the surface treatment agent is an organosilane selected from the group consisting of [2-(3-cyclohexenyl)ethyl]trimethoxysilane, trimethoxy(7-octen-1-yl)silane, isooctyl trimethoxy-silane, N-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)methoxyethoxyethoxyethyl carbamate, N-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)methoxy-ethoxyethoxyethyl carbamate, 3-(methacryloyloxy)-propyltrimethoxysilane, allyltrimethoxysilane, 3 -acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-(methacryloyloxy)propyl-triethoxysilane, 3-(methacryloyloxy)propylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3-(acryloyloxypropyl)-methyldimethoxysilane, 3-(methacryloyloxy) propyldimethylethoxysilane, vinyldimethyl-ethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, n-octyltrimethoxysilane, dodecyltrimethoxysilane, octadecyltrimethoxysilane, propyltrimethoxysilane, hexyltrimethoxysilane, vinylmethyldiacetoxysilane, vinylmethyldiethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriisopropoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriphenoxysilane, vinyltri-tbutoxysilane, vinyltris-isobutoxysilane, vinyltriisopropenoxysilane, vinyltris(2-methoxyethoxy)silane, styrylethyltrimethoxysilane, mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3 -glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, heptamethyl(2-[tris(2-methoxyethoxy)-silyl]ethyl)trisiloxane, polydimethylsiloxane, arylsilanes, alkylsilanes, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing; or the particles are silica particles and the surface treatment agent is produced by reaction of suitable difunctional or trifunctional polyols with 3-triethoxysilyl propyl isocyanate.