Abstract'The photolysis of 3,3dimethylbutan-Z-one (MTBK) has been studied in the gas phase at 408 and 326 K, mainly with light of 313 nm wavelength. At the higher temperature, the major products were methane, ethane, isobutane, isobutene, neopentane, tetramethylbutane, and carbon monoxide. At 326 K, in addition to these products, appreciable quantities of acetaldehyde, acetone, and biacetyl were detected. Quantum yields were determined using acetone and pentan-3-one as actinometers. A conventional mechanism is able to explain most of the experimental data. At 326 K, the results may be interpreted to yield a value for the rate constant for decomposition of the acetyl radical. Some theoretical calculations are reported on the acetyl radical decomposition and some earlier experimental work on this radical reevaluated.