In the low-spin [Fe(bipy) 3] 2+ (bipy = 2,2′,bipyridine) and [Fe(phen) 3] 2+ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) complexes an excited high-spin 5T 2 ligand field state can be populated by irradiating into the 1MLCT absorption band at 530 nm. The lifetimes of this excited state at low temperatures are reported for [Fe(bipy) 3] 2+ doped into [Zn(bipy) 3] (PF 6) 2 and [Zn(bipy) 3] (BF 4) 2 and for [Fe(phen) 3] 2+ and [Fe(bipy) 3] 2+ embedded in the ion exchange polymer Nafion. For [Fe(bipy) 3] 2+ in [Zn(bipy) 3](PF 6) 2 the observed lifetimes decrease from 1600 ns at 10 K to 14 ns at 125 K.