Uniform monodisperse magnesium oxide microspheres with a high surface area have been prepared by a facile seed-induced precipitation. By characterizing these particles with scanning electron microscopy and N(2) physisorption techniques, the results demonstrate that these magnesium oxide microspheres have an average particle diameter of 9.5 microm, a specific surface area of 211.7 m(2)g(-1), a total pore volume of 0.76 mL g(-1), and an average pore diameter of 143 A. The chromatographic properties of these microspheres have been investigated in normal-phase mode for the separation of various basic compounds including aniline, quinoline, and pyridine derivatives. In contrast to conventional silica, the magnesium oxide particles exhibit unique selectivity and retention property for the separation of the tested basic compounds, and these microspheres are promising as an alternative new packing material for high-performance liquid chromatography.