The products of 193-nm photolysis of diethylzinc are monitored by time-resolved infrared absorption in the range 2100-3200 cm(-1). The organic photofragments are assigned as highly vibrationally and rotationally excited free ethyl radicals. No evidence is found for prompt generation of ethane, ethene, or butane as primary photoproducts, suggesting that the only important photodissociation mechanism is simple metal-alkyl bond homolysis.