Kinetics and mechanism of nitration of aromatic compounds using trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA)/NaNO2, TCCA‐N,N‐dimethyl formamide (TCCA‐DMF)/NaNO2, and TCCA‐N,N‐dimethyl acetamide (TCCA‐DMA)/NaNO2 under acid‐free and Vilsmeier‐Haack conditions. Reactions followed second‐order kinetics with a first‐order dependence on [Phenol] and [Nitrating agent] ([TCCA], [(TCCA‐DMF)], or [(TCCA‐DMA)] >> [NaNO2]). Reaction rates accelerated with the introduction of electron‐donating groups and retarded with electron‐withdrawing groups, but did not fit well into the Hammett's theory of linear free energy relationship or its modified forms like Brown‐Okamoto or Yukawa‐Tsuno equations. Rate data were analyzed by Charton's multiple linear regression analysis. Isokinetic temperature (β) values, obtained from Exner's theory for different protocols, are 403.7 K (TCCA‐NaNO2), 365.8 K (TCCA‐DMF)/NaNO2, and 358 K (TCCA‐DMA)/NaNO2. These values are far above the experimental temperature range (303‐323 K), indicating that the enthalpy factors are probably more important in controlling the reaction.