Two new isonicotinic acid-containing lanthanide complexes, [Eu(HL)(3)(H2O)(2)](2n)center dot(nH(5)O(2))(nHgCl(5))(2nHgCl(4))center dot(2nH(2)O) (1) and [GdL2(H2O)(4)](n)nCl (2) (HL = isonicotinic acid), have been synthesized via hydrothermal reactions and structurally characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffractions. Complex 1 crystallizes in the space group C2/c of the monoclinic system with four formula units in a cell: a = 24.2129(9), b = 20.7750(8), c = 15.2980(6) angstrom, = 128.32 degrees, V = 6037.1(4) angstrom(3), C36H47Cl12Eu2Hg3N6O20, M-r = 2214.89, D-c = 2.437g/cm(3), S = 0.994, (MoK) = 10.253mm(-1), F(000) = 4140, R = 0.0425 and wR = 0.0800. Complex 2 crystallizes in the space group Pbcn of the orthorhombic system with four formula units in a cell: a = 8.947(4), b = 19.616(9), c = 10.086(5) angstrom, V = 1770.1(14) angstrom(3), C12H16ClGdN2O8, M-r = 508.97, D-c = 1.910g/cm(3), S = 1.009, (MoK) = 3.938mm(-1), F(000) = 988, R = 0.0276 and wR = 0.0674. Both complexes are characteristic of infinite one-dimensional (1-D) polycationic chain-like structures.