The compounds [ZnII{C6H4(NH2)2}2(NO3)2], (1) and [CdII{C6H4(NH2)2}2(NO3)2] (2) have been prepared (C6H4(NH2)2 = orthophenylenediammine = opda) and characterized by routine spectroscopic methods and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compound 1 crystallizes in orthorhombic space group Pcab, where as compound 2 crystallizes in monoclinic space P2 1 /n. In the crystal structure of 1 an extended hydrogen bonding network is formed involving zinc coordinated amines and nitrato ligands. The compound 2 consists of molecules in which the cadmium ion is eight coordinated, with two bidentate nitrate groups and two bidentate opda ligands. The geometry around the cadmium described as a distorted dodecahedron. The crystal structure of 2 shows an intricate hydrogen bonding network, formed by amine and nitro groups coordinated to cadmium.