The cationic photopolymerization of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether epoxy (DGEBA) at = 385 nm was conducted by the combination of a cationic photoinitiator PAG30201 (Bis (4-isobutylphenyl) iodonium hexafluorophosphate) and a photosensitizer PSS303 (9,10-dibutoxy-9,10-dihydroanthrance). The kinetic characterization was investigated by real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The enhancement of epoxy conversion of DGEBA was achieved by increasing temperature, adding alcohols, active monomers and radical photoinitiators. As a result, in the presence of 2 wt % PAG30201 and 1.2 wt % PSS303, the epoxy rings conversion of DGEBA has reached to more than 70% from 55.9% at room temperature; it could be increased to almost 80% if heated to 60 degrees C. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3698-3703, 2013