The highly branched permethylpolysilanes, 2-(trimethylsilyl)nonamethyltetrasilane, 2,2-bis(trimethylsilyl)octamethyltetrasilane (1b), 2,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)octamethyltetrasilane, and 2,2,3,3-tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)hexamethyltetrasilane (1d), and branched polysilaalkanes, 1,2-bis[tris(trimethylsilyl)silyl]ethane, 1,3-bis[tris(trimethylsilyl)silyl]propane, and 1,1,2,2-tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)-1,2-disilacyclopentane were prepared, and their photochemical behavior was investigated in the presence or absence of 2,3-dimethylbutadiene in pentane. Irradiation of the branched permethylated polysilanes with a low-pressure mercury lamp produced two different types of silylenes, while the branched polysilaalkanes gave a single silylene. In the photolysis of 1b and 1d, hydrosilanes arising from homolytic scission of an Si-Si bond followed by the hydrogen abstraction of the resulting silyl radicals were obtained.