A series of novel crosslinkers, polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) with different molecular weights, were prepared, consisting of acryloyl end groups and the PEG backbones. The corresponding poly(sodium acrylate) superabsorbents of 60 mol % neutralization degree were synthesized by using ammonium persulfate and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate as redox initiators in aqueous solution. PEGDA was characterized by FTIR and H-1-NMR. The maximum of water absorbency (Q) of superabsorbents occurred at a specific mole fraction of crosslinker; Q-values increased with increasing molecular weight of PEGDA at the same mole fraction, whereas the water absorption rate was the opposite, in which Q-values decreased gradually with time (>24 h). Compared with superabsorbents containing methylene bisacrylamide crosslinker with PEGDA, the Q-value of the former was significantly less than that of the latter, although levels of the residual monomer and the soluble polymer were opposite. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.