4-(2-hydroxy-3-ethoxy propoxy radicals) benzophenone (OEBP), a novel photoinitiator for free radical polymerization, was synthesized and characterized. The photopolymerization kinetics of 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) was studied with real-time infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). When this photointiator was used to efficiently initiate polymerization of acrylates and methacrylates, there was an optimum cure rate with the increase in OEBP concentration. Both the polymerization rate and final conversion rate increased with the light intensity. The kinetics study of photopolymerization of HDDA showed that OEBP was more effective as a photoinitiator compared with benzophenone and benzophenone/ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EDAB).Cited