Nitration of light alkanes and the alkyl side-chain of aromatic compounds with NO(2) and HNO(3) was successfully achieved by the use of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) as a catalyst under relatively mild conditions. For example, the nitration of propane with NO(2) catalyzed by NHPI at 100 degrees C for 14 h gave 2-nitropropane in good yield without formation of 1-nitropropane and cleaved products such as nitroethane and nitromethane. Various aliphatic nitroalkanes, which are difficult to prepare by conventional methods, could be selectively obtained by means of the present methodology by using NHPI as the key catalyst. In addition, the side-chain nitration of alkylbenzenes such as toluene was selectively carried out to lead to alpha-nitrotoluene without the ring nitration. The present reaction provides an efficient selective method for the nitration of light alkanes and alkylbenzenes, which has been very difficult to carry out so far.