A series of reactions involving Fe(+) ions were studied by the pulsed laser ablation of an iron target, with detection of ions by quadrupole mass spectrometry at the downstream end of a fast flow tube. The reactions of Fe(+) with N(2)O, N(2) and O(2) were studied in order to benchmark this new technique. Extending measurements of the rate coefficient for Fe(+) + N(2)O from 773 K to 185 K shows that the reaction exhibits marked non-Arrhenius behaviour, which appears to be explained by excitation of the N(2)O bending vibrational modes. The recombination of Fe(+) with CO(2) and H(2)O in He was then studied over a range of pressure and temperature. The data were fitted by RRKM theory combined with ab initio quantum calculations on Fe(+).CO(2) and Fe(+).H(2)O, yielding the following results (120-400 K and 0-10(3) Torr). For Fe(+) + CO(2): k(rec,0) = 1.0 x 10(-29) (T/300 K)(-2.31) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1); k(rec,infinity) = 8.1 x 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). For Fe(+) + H(2)O: k(rec,0) = 5.3 x 10(-29) (T/300 K)(-2.02) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1); k(rec,infinity) = 2.1 x 10(-9) (T/300 K)(-0.41) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The uncertainty in these rate coefficients is determined using a Monte Carlo procedure. A series of exothermic ligand-switching reactions were also studied at 294 K: k(Fe(+).N(2) + O(2)) = (3.17 +/- 0.41) x 10(-10), k(Fe(+).CO(2) + O(2)) = (2.16 +/- 0.35) x 10(-10), k(Fe(+).N(2) + H(2)O) = (1.25 +/- 0.14) x 10(-9) and k(Fe(+).O(2) + H(2)O) = (8.79 +/- 1.30) x 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), which are all between 36 and 52% of their theoretical upper limits calculated from long-range capture theory. Finally, the role of these reactions in the chemistry of meteor-ablated iron in the upper atmosphere is discussed. The removal rates of Fe(+) by N(2), O(2), CO(2) and H(2)O at 90 km altitude are approximately 0.1, 0.07, 3 x 10(-4) and 1 x 10(-6) s(-1), respectively. The initially formed Fe(+).N(2) and Fe(+).O(2) are converted into the H(2)O complex at approximately 0.05 s(-1). Fe(+).H(2)O should therefore be the most abundant single-ligand Fe(+) complex in the mesosphere below 90 km.