The covalent attachment of tris(allyl)iridium to partially dehydroxylated gamma-alumina is found to proceed via surface hydroxyl group protonation of one allyl ligand to form an immobilized bis(allyl)iridium moiety, (=AlO)Ir(allyl)(2), as characterized by CP-MAS C-13 NMR, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and Ir L-3 edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) measurements taken on unsupported Ir(allyl)(3) and several associated tertiary phosphine addition complexes suggest that the eta(3)-allyl ligands generally account for an Ir-C coordination number of 2 rather than 3, with an average Ir-C distance of 2.16 angstrom. Using this knowledge, combined EXAFS and X-ray absorption near-edge structure studies reveal that a small amount of Ir-0 is also formed upon reaction of Ir(allyl)(3) with the surface. It was found that the addition of either 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide or carbon monoxide to the supported complex allows spectroscopic identification of the supported bis(allyl)iridium complexes, (=AlO)Ir(allyl)(2)(CNAr) [Ar=2,6-(CH3)(2)C6H4] and (=AlO)Ir(allyl)(2)(CO)(2), respectively. Although samples of the supported bis(allyl)iridium complex are active for the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane to benzene at temperatures between 180 and 220 degrees C, in situ temperature-programmed reaction XAFS and continuous-flow reactor studies suggest that Ir-0 nanoparticles, rather than a well-defined Ir3+ complex, are responsible for the observed activity.