New high-heat-resistant photoreactive polymers with cinnamate groups were synthesized by the reaction of cinnamic acid (CA) and epoxy resins. Their photocure properties were investigated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Their photocure reaction rates and the extent of reaction conversion increased with the intensity of UV irradiation. To investigate their photocure reaction kinetics, their reaction conversion rates were plotted against reaction conversion so that their photocure reactions could be analyzed in terms of an nth-order kinetics reaction equation. The YX400OH-CA photoreactive polymer with a biphenyl moiety, which was expected to have strong molecular interactions, showed a lower reaction conversion rate and reaction constant, and the highest reaction conversion rate and reaction constant was observed in XP2030-CA with an optimum cure reaction space and a reduction of molecular interactions compared with the other photoreactive polymers. Thermal stability was studied by observation of the changes in the transmittance of the photocured polymer films upon heating and by measurement of the weight loss with temperature with TGA. These photoreactive polymers showed good thermal properties, with almost no transmittance change in the visible range even after they were heated at 250 degrees C for 1 h, and they exhibited little weight loss up to about 250 degrees C. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.