The synthesis and structure of [µ-1,9,10,11-η:4,5,6,12-η-tricyclo[7.1.1.14,6]dodeca-1(11),4,6(12),9-tetraene]bis(tricarbonyliron) (1), a small cyclophane containing iron-stabilized antiaromatic decks of cyclobutadiene, is reported. Complex 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/a, a = 12.455 (6) Å, b = 9.769 (4) Å, c = 7.156 (2) Å, β = 92.88 (3)°, and d(calcd, Z = 2) = 1.665 g cm-3. The structure was resolved by direct methods using MULTAN80 and refined by least squares to Rf = 4.2% (Rw = 5.2%). The physical properties of 1 were examined and compared to [2.2]paracyclophane. The cyclobutadiene ligands are parallel to and lie directly over each other with no ring distortion, and there is a 20.6° out-of-plane bending of the aliphatic bridges away from the metal. The intradeck distance of 2.7 Å is the smallest observed for the cyclophanes. The carbonyl moieties are in the staggered conformation. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.