Three new cyclopentadienyliron dicarbonyl compounds, 1-[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)]-1,12-C2B10H11, 1-[[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)]-1,12-C2B10H10-12-yl](2)Hg, and 1,12-[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)](2)-1,12-C2B10H10, composed of 1,12-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane as a ligand precursor were synthesized and found to be luminescent. The uncoordinated 1,12-C2B10H12 bridging ligand precursor is luminescent with a band maximum at 25180 cm(-1), while the iron complexes luminesce at lower energies in the range 13120-14210 cm(-1). The lowest energy excited electronic state in the iron complexes is assigned to a ligand field transition of the iron chromophore. Cyclic voltammetry of l,12-[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)](2)-1,12-C2B10H10 displays two discrete one-electron oxidations, and. the luminescence maximum is red shifted from that observed in 1-[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)]-1,12-C2B10H11. Both of these observations suggest that the iron-centered chromophores are weakly coupled. In contrast, the 1-[[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)]-1,12-C2B10H10-12-yl](2)Hg complex is uncoupled as is evident from the single oxidation process observed with cyclic voltammetry. The extinction coefficient of 1,12-[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)](2)-1,12-C2B10H10 is six times that of 1-[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)]-1,12-C2B10H11, while the extinction coefficient of 1-[[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)]-1,12-C2B10H10-12-yl](2)Hg is only twice that of 1-[eta (5)-CpFe(CO)(2)]-1,12-C2B10H11. These spectroscopic properties are explained in terms of two coupled antiparallel transition dipole moments.