The kinetics of the photopolymerization for nanocomposites containing nanosilica with 2,2-dimethoxyl,2-diphenylethan-1-one or benzophenone/n-methyl diethanolamine (BP/MDEA)as photoinitiators were studied by FTIR spectroscopy. It was found that nanocomposites containing nanosilica had higher conversion in comparison with pristine EA. The presence of MPS and ethanol accelerated the photopolymerization of nanocomposites, while the presence of water decelerated it. The photopolymerization of nanocomposites was more sensitive to oxygen than that of pristine EA. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.