Polycrystalline Mg0.87Cu0.13O powders were synthesized by a sol-gel method using Mg(OH)(2)center dot 4Mg-CO3 center dot 6H(2)O and CuCl2 as precursors. The obtained sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry, and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. X-ray diffraction result shows the single phase nature and cubic structure of the obtained Mg0.87Cu0.13O. Rietveld refinement shows that the Cu has substituted the Mg sites in the MgO lattice. Transmission electron microscopy further reveals the single crystalline nature and cubic structure of the obtained Mg0.87Cu0.13O. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows +2 valences of Cu ions in Mg0.87Cu0.13O. Magnetic measurement results reveal paramagnetic order of Mg0.87Cu0.13O in 5-300 K temperature range. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.