Recent research progress in clean nitration of toluene, including the application of nitrating reagent and catalyst is presented. Their specific features,merits and demerits are outlined, and the perspectives of the catalytic nitration of toluene are prospected. The potential application of dinitrogen pentoixde nitrating reagent and catalysts for catalytic nitration of toluene is put forward. It is a clean nitrated technology in vast prospects of industrial application.