In the present study, we synthesized water-soluble poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGA)-containing polysulfide polymers by conventional interfacial polycondensation polymerization. Formation of polysulfide polymers was confirmed using gel permeation chromatography, FT-IR, and NMR spectroscopy. Thermal behaviors of polysulfide polymers were investigated by thermogravimetric anlysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Degradation products of the main chain polysulfide polymers were characterized by electron-impact mass spectroscopy. These polysulfide polymers are soluble not only in most of the common organic solvents but also in water, though they contain highly hydrophobic-S-x-(x = 1 or 2) moieties in the main chain. In addition, the synthesized PEGA-containing disulfide polymer was employed to stabilize gold nanoparticles in an aqueous medium to prevent self-aggregation. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.