Previously unknown N-(2-nitroxyethyl)isonicotinamide was synthesized by the reaction of isonicotinoyl chloride with 2-nitroxyethylamine and was used as a ligand in the reactions with PdCl2 and PtCl2 to prepare new complexes, viz., trans-bis[(2-nitroxyethyl)isonicotinamide-N]dichloropalladium(ii) and cis-bis[(2-nitroxyethyl)isonicotinamide-N]dichloroplatinum(II), respectively. The structures of the ligand and the resulting complexes were established by X-ray diffraction analysis.