Nanoparticles of poly(ethyl acrylate) were synthesized via a semibatch differential emulsion polymerization method with potassium persulfate as the initiator and sodium dodecyl sulfate as the surfactant. The effects of the reaction temperature, aging time, and surfactant/initiator/monomer ratios on the polymer particle sizes were investigated. Poly(ethyl acrylate) with particle sizes of less than 20 nm was synthesized under mild conditions. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.