Tryptophan was flash photolyzed in deoxygenated and air equilibrated solutions. The kinetics of the subsequent reactions of the tryptophyl radical and hydrated electron were elucidated. O2 reduced the primary photoionization yield, indicating a triplet state percursor, but no evidence was found for a biphotonic process. Appreciable differences in the photoionization quantum yields were found for tryptophan, alanyl tryptophan and tryptophyl alanine.